Reckless driving claims seven lives in two accidents

Speeding trucks ram into tractor-trolley, motorcycle rickshaw

CHICHAWATNI/ OKARA:

At least seven people, including three members of a family were killed in road accidents reportedly caused by speeding in Chichawtni and Okara on Thursday.

Four people were killed after the driver of a mini-truck fell asleep, causing a collision of his speeding vehicle with a tractor-trolley parked on the side of a road.

The driver lost control over the speeding vehicle on the Chichawatni-Burewala road.

The deceased were identified as 20-year-old Mohammad Shahbaz, 30-year-old Shaukat, 30-year-old Allah Ditta and 35-year-old Mohammad Ehsan. They were residents of Okara, Vehari and Burewala.

Rescue 1122 staff had to cut off various parts of the mangled truck to remove the bodies after the collision. The police took the bodies into custody and shifted them to the tehsil headquarters hospital.

In another accident in Okara, a couple and their son were killed on the spot and four other people were seriously injured in a collision between a speeding truck and a motorcycle rickshaw. Police said Mohammad Farooq was going on a motorcycle rickshaw with his wife and children when a speeding truck hit it on Depalpur Road.

As a result, 45-year-old Farooq, his 40-year-old wife Shahnaz and 10-year-old son Imran died and four others were seriously injured.

Meanwhile, in an accident on the National Highway near Kotla Adib Shaheed, the van of a wedding possession going from Sahiwal to Khanewal overturned due to high speed. A Rescue 1122 team shifted 17 injured people to the THQ hospital after initial medical aid.

Incidents of fatal road crash are reported frequently across the province.

On February 16, four members of a family were killed after a car plunged into a canal in Sargodha.

On February 6, at least six members of a family were killed in an accident on Mohsinwal Jandiali Road in the suburbs of Mian Channu when the driver of a speeding car lost control and it rammed into a tree.

The accident took place after a tyre of the vehicle burst.

On January 3, three members of a family were killed while five others suffered injuries when a van overturned while avoiding hitting a roadside tree on Kamalia Road near Chichawatni.

The accident took place near Khan Da Chak where the passenger van travelling from Faisalabad to Vehari overturned after its driver lost control over the steering wheel.

As a result of the incident, Abdur Rauf Butt, Khalida and Farida died on the spot, while Sofia Aslam, Shugufta, Farooq, Mubbashir and six-year-old Arham suffered multiple injuries. All the victims reportedly belonged to the same family of Vehari district.

On October 5 last year, a lawyer, his wife, son and mother-in-law were killed and two sons were seriously injured in a head-on collision between two cars near Dijkot.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2021.