Delhi: Speeding SUV kills pedestrian near President's Estate, driver detained

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) A speeding SUV crushed a man to death and injured another on a road close to the high-security President's Estate in New Delhi, the police said on Sunday.

The driver has been detained.

The incident was reported by a police patrol van around 6.30 a.m., the police said, adding that the vehicle virtually climbed onto the pavement after hitting two persons on the Mother Teresa Crescent Road near Talkatora Stadium.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla said they were checking if the driver, Ashish, 26, was driving under the influence of liquor or drugs.

During questioning, the driver of the white vehicle, bearing a UP registration number, revealed that he was driving from Gurugram to Shakarpur and the accident occurred as he dozed off.

"We are trying to identify the victims," said Mahla.

While forensic teams collected evidence from the vehicle and the crime scene, glass bottles could be seen lying near the driver's seat.

The vehicle is registered in the name of Ankit Adnani, a resident of Ahimsa Khand, Ghaziabad. The owner of the vehicle said he had given his vehicle to Ashish for use, the police said.

The report of the medical examination of the detained driver is awaited, the police said.

The police said the person killed in the incident was walking along the road when the vehicle hit him. He died on the spot.

The other victim, who is undergoing treatment for a fracture and other injuries, was also flung into the air due to the impact, said an investigator.

The police suspect that the incident took place at least 30-60 minutes before it was detected by the patrol vehicle.

Due to the impact of the accident, the pavement was damaged, and the vehicle's wheels were detached, according to a police official from Chanakyapuri Police Station.

--IANS

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