9 days on, 61-yr-old Kharar man hit by rashly driven ambulance dies

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 29

Nine days after being hit by a rashly driven ambulance of a private hospital, a 61-year old man succumbed to his head injuries at another private hospital in Zirakpur here today.

The victim has been identified as Kanwaljit Singh, a resident of GSJ Apartments, Shivjot Enclave, Kharar.

The accident

• The victim, Kanwaljit Singh of Kharar, started crossing the Sector 67-68 traffic light as it turned green. In the meantime, an ambulance with the siren on jumped the red light. The ambulance hit the victim's motorcycle and dragged it to a few yards, inflicting severe head injuries on him.
• The ambulance driver alighted and tried to give first aid to the victim. When the blood did not stop, the driver, along with two other persons who were also sitting in the ambulance, took the victim to a private hospital in Zirakpur in an auto-rickshaw. Later, they left the hospital.

On October 20, the victim was crossing the Sector 67-68 traffic light when a rashly-driven ambulance with the siren on came from the Sohana side and hit his motorcycle. The victim sustained serious head injuries. Interestingly, there was no patient in the ambulance at the time of the incident.

In his complaint to the police, a passerby, Bhushan Shama, said he was waiting for a relative at the traffic light around 2.30 pm. After the light turned green, the victim started crossing the traffic light.

In the meantime, an ambulance, which had the siren on even as there was no patient in the vehicle, jumped the red light from the Sohana side. The ambulance hit the motorcycle and dragged the victim to a few yards, inflicting severe head injuries on him. The blood was oozing out of the victim’s mouth.

The ambulance driver alighted and tried to give first aid to the victim. When the blood did not stop, the driver, along with two other persons who were also sitting in the ambulance, took the victim to a private hospital in an auto-rickshaw. Later, they left the hospital.

A case under Sections 279, 337, 427 and 177 of the IPC was registered against the unidentified ambulance driver at the Phase XI police station. After the victim’s death at the hospital today, the police added Section 304-A to the FIR.

Phase XI SHO Gagandeep Singh said they would soon arrest the ambulance driver.

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