TWO youths lost their lives after a speeding SUV crashed into a roadside tree near Kosanala on National Highway-53 in Bhilai in the early hours of Sunday. The accident occurred at around 2 am and is suspected to have been caused by overspeeding. Police sources informed that Scorpio SUV bearing registration number CG 07 CX 6750 was driven at a high speed when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The SUV crossed the service lane and rammed into a roadside tree with tremendous force near Gym Garden in Kosanala area, Bhilai. The impact of the collision was so severe that the driver, Prateek Thakur (26), son of the late Jamuna Thakur and a resident of Street-35, Sector-4, Bhilai, died on the spot. Another occupant, Bhaskar Kumar, son of Sunil Kumar and a resident of Street-29, Sector-4, Bhilai, sustained critical injuries in the crash.

 

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries at around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The youths were on way to Supela Chowk from Nehru Nagar when the mishap occurred midway. Upon receiving information about the accident, a team from Supela Police reached the scene, carried out the necessary legal formalities, and sent both bodies for postmortem examination. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident. SHO Supela Police Station, S N Singh told the newspaper that preliminary findings indicated that reckless speed and loss of control over the vehicle were the primary factors behind the fatal crash. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances leading to the accident.