Biker killed as SUV in wrong lane hits him in Gurugram
A 23-year-old biker, identified as Akshat Garg, was killed last week after being struck head-on by a SUV driving in the wrong direction on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road near Belvedere Park in DLF Phase II.
The driver has been identified as Kuldeep Kumar Thakur, a resident of Delhi.
The collision was captured on a GoPro camera mounted on the helmet of Garg’s friend, who was riding behind him.
The video has since gone viral on social media.
According to the police, the accident occurred around 5:45 am on Sunday when Garg and his friend departed from DLF Downtown on separate motorcycles to meet a group of riders at Ambience Mall. Garg was wearing full safety gear, including a helmet and gloves. In the video, he can be seen taking a right turn when his motorcycle collided with the SUV that was driving in the wrong direction. The impact threw Garg over the SUV.
Authorities revealed that the SUV bore a political party sticker.
“Neither the car driver nor Garg had any chance to avoid the collision…The impact flung Garg above the car, and his motorcycle was mangled beyond recognition,” a police officer said.
Following the incident, bystanders quickly gathered, called emergency services, and rushed Garg to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead, the officials added.
Not an #Accident, It’s Murder
On Sunday night, young biker #AkshatGarg lost his life when a #Mahindra 3XO, driven recklessly in the wrong direction, hit him. His friend Pradyumn, who witnessed the incident, says that the driver, #KuldeepThakur, was speeding against traffic.… pic.twitter.com/Uasr1PvwvC
— Akassh Ashok Gupta (@peepoye_) September 19, 2024
Thakur, runs a social media firm that handles campaigns for elections, was arrested on the spot, the police said.
An FIR was filed against him under Sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving), 324 (4) (mischief causing damage of over Rs 20,000), and 166 (compensation after a motor vehicle accident) of the Motor Vehicles Act. Later, he was granted bail. Thakur reportedly told the police he had been following directions from Google Maps.
Garg’s friend, who witnessed the accident from around 100 feet behind, said, “There were two men in their mid-20s and a dog inside the car. Commuters apprehended them and handed them over to the police. Unfortunately, my friend became unresponsive within seconds after I tried to open his helmet.”
The friend added that, although his GoPro recorded the incident, the police did not take a copy of the footage for their investigation.
“My GoPro camera, fixed on my helmet, recorded the entire accident. But the police didn’t take a copy of the footage, even after seeing it…Later, I found out the car driver was released from the police station,” he said.
The incident has sparked outrage on social media. A user on X wrote, ‘How dumb can you be to drive the car not only in the wrong side but also on the fast lane of the wrong side’. Another said, ‘Am Amazed to see ppl lashing out at the SUV driver. Yes, he was at the wrong side, and he should be charged. However, the biker was riding at a very high speed like he was on a rocket. Second he was on a curve, even the sign on the road said SLOW. He collided on the blind spot.’
