A speeding Thar allegedly driven by a woman hit a scooter rider in Kanpur's Kalyanpur area on Saturday, 7 November, killing the 55-year-old man on the spot.
The victim was identified as Santosh Singh Chauhan, a resident of Awas Vikas-3. He had left home on his scooter at about 7:30 pm, and the accident happened barely 500 metres from his house.
His son Rahul Chauhan said his father had brought a sari for his mother and had said he would return soon. The family received news of his death a short while later.
Thar smashed through a house boundary
Witnesses said the Thar was moving at high speed when it hit the scooter. The driver then lost control, and the SUV broke through the boundary wall of Professor Kailash Chauhan's house and entered the garden.
The vehicle also hit the boundary wall of a neighbouring property belonging to Anita Mahadevan, a GST superintendent posted in Bengaluru. Professor Chauhan came out of his house after hearing the loud crash.
He said the SUV carried two women and a man, and that a woman was driving it. By then, Santosh Singh Chauhan had died at the spot.
Occupants allegedly fled in another car
Witnesses alleged that the three occupants got out of the damaged Thar and left in another car that arrived at the spot a little later. Police are examining CCTV footage from nearby cameras to identify the three people and the second car.
Police traced the registered owner of the Thar from its number plate. The vehicle is registered in the name of Krishna Kumar, with a registered address in Bahadur Nagar, Panki.
A case has been filed in connection with the accident. Police said they are investigating who was driving the SUV at the time and who the other occupants were, using witness statements, information from the vehicle owner and CCTV footage.
Police yet to confirm who was driving
For the family, the loss came within minutes of Santosh Singh Chauhan leaving home. Police said the CCTV footage should help establish the sequence of events, including the route taken by the second car.
