Five youths fall prey to speeding

Car rams into tree after running over two pedestrians

LAHORE:

Five people, including three teenagers travelling in a car, were killed when the speeding vehicle went out of control of the driver, ran over two pedestrians and crashed into a tree near Ghaziabad in Harbanspura.

The car was reportedly travelling at a high speed near the canal bank.

The driver apparently lost control over the vehicle, which veered towards the roadside, hit two pedestrians and then crashed into the tree. The vehicle was badly damaged.

All three young men travelling in the car suffered fatal injuries, while the two pedestrians also died.

The car occupants were Nauman Zahid, Irfan Abbas and Javed. All three were 17 years old residents of Sabzazar Shah Fareed.

The two pedestrians killed in the accident were 20-year-old Abdul Rehman and 18-year-old Muzammil.

Rescue 1122 and Edhi Foundation personnel reached the place after receiving information about the crash and shifted the bodies to a hospital mortuary for medico-legal formalities.

Police teams also reached the accident site and initiated investigations.

They examined the damaged vehicle and the surrounding area and collected evidence to ascertain the circumstances leading to the fatal accident.

Residents and passers-by gathered at the spot after the crash and the damaged car remained there as rescue officials worked to retrieve the victims inside it and clear the area.

Information gathered initially suggested that excessive speed might have caused the accident.

The police said they were investigating the cause and circumstances surrounding the accident.

Police officials said they were also completing documentation and other legal formalities regarding the deaths.

They said further action would be taken after completion of the investigation and medico-legal procedures.

Meanwhile, at least 20 people

died, whereas 2,409 were injured in 1,972 road traffic crashes (RTCs) reported in Punjab during the last 24 hours.

Of them, 1,078 people were shifted to hospitals, while 1,331 victims with minor injuries were treated at the sites by Rescue Medical Teams.

As many as 85 per cent of the road accidents involved motorbikes.

Rescue data showed that 1,263 adult and 132 underage drivers, 216 pedestrians and 950 passengers were among the victims.

The statistics showed that 372 RTCs were reported in Lahore, which affected 501 persons, placing the provincial capital at top of the list, followed by 124 in Multan with 148 victims and 105 in Faisalabad with 114 victims.

Of the affected people, 1,925 were male and 504 female, while 664 were under 18 years of age, 1,241 between 18 and 40 years and 524 above 40 years.

According to the data, 2,267 motorbikes, 157 rickshaws, 210

cars, 34 vans, six buses, 30 trucks and 75 other types of vehicles and carts were involved in the road accidents.