In a dreadful incident, five young men were killed while another sustained serious injuries after a speeding Mahindra XUV 700 rammed into a truck from behind in Maihar district, on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The accident occurred around 2 am on National Highway 30 near Rigra village under the jurisdiction of Nadan Dehat police station area in Maihar district. As per information, the men were returning after celebrating the birthday of Amarpatan District Vice-President Manoj Patel. Notably the impact of the accident was so severe that the car was completely mangled leaving five dead and one seriously injured. The deceased have been identified as Ankur Govind Patel (40), Mridul Mahendra Patel (32), Vijay Nagendra Patel (30), Harishankar Nagendra Patel (25), and Sanjeev Sanju Patel (23). Ankur and Mridul were grandsons of former MLA Laljibhai Patel. The two brothers, Vijay and Harishankar, were nephews of Lalji Patel. The deceased, Sanjeev Patel, was the grandson of the former MLA’s niece. Upon receiving information about the accident, Dial-112, Highway Patrol, and Nadan Dehat police arrived at the scene. Police and rescue teams laboriously took out six young men trapped in the car. Five of them died on the spot, while one was seriously injured. The injured was initially taken to Amarpatan Civil Hospital. After receiving first aid, he was referred to Jabalpur where he is currently undergoing treatment. Truck driver Chittaranjan Das Chandel said, “The truck was travelling at a speed of 40-45 km/h (45 mph).

 

The XUV, on the other hand, was at a much faster speed. We couldn’t understand how fast it hit us. We only heard a loud thud. Both rear tires of the truck were damaged. The vehicle was saved from overturning.” Om Patel, injured in the accident, was initially taken to Amarpatan Civil Hospital. After receiving first aid, doctors referred him to Jabalpur due to his critical condition. Initial investigations revealed that the young men were returning from celebrating the birthday of Amarpatan District Vice President Manoj Patel. The deceased, Ankur Patel, was a farmer and a business owner. Mridul Patel ran a warehouse. Vijay Patel worked in Jabalpur. Harishankar Patel was a farmer while Sanjeev Patel worked as a domestic help. According to eyewitnesses, a speeding XUV (MP13 L1887) rammed into the rear of a truck near Rigra village. Speeding and the driver’s loss of control are initially believed to be the cause of the accident. Police took possession of the five bodies and sent them to the Maihar Civil Hospital mortuary for postmortem. Traffic on the highway was briefly disrupted after the accident, but was later restored. Nadan Dehat Police Station In-charge, Panchraj Singh said, “Five people have died in the accident, while a young man is seriously injured. He has been sent to the hospital for treatment. Police have registered a case and have begun investigating the cause of the accident.”