Noida car crash survivor says driver was speeding at 100 km/hour

Noida: The survivors of the road accident that claimed lives of four students from Galgotias University off Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida were looking forward to a fun Sunday at the Ansal Plaza.

They planned to catch an afternoon show of a movie at the mall and skip classes scheduled in the latter part of the day. They had told their friends outside the campus to meet them at Pari Chowk. They were all supposed to gather here and then head towards the mall.

Twenty-two-year-old Tushar, who was driving the car and died in the accident, was in a hurry and was driving very fast right from the time they left the varsity premises, said his friends and co-passengers. The sports utility vehicle, which can accommodate eight people including the driver, was packed with 10 occupants.

Sharif Ahmed, an eyewitness who suffered injuries in both legs, said, “Tushar was driving the SUV at a speed of 100 km/hour. I told him to slow down, but he did not listen to me or the others. The road was a little narrow when he started overtaking the car. The tyre burst and he lost control over the car which toppled and I lost consciousness.”

Sharif was sitting on the last seat of the car with two his friends Salman and Balram, both of whom died on the spot. A sharp piece of metal had pierced through their skull.

Sharif, a resident of Uttam Nagar in Delhi and an honours student of psychology, said this was the first time they planned to go out. “Tushar would never bring his car to the university. This was the first time he got the Xylo. Usually we would sit inside the campus and later leave for our homes,” he said.

Since his admission at the Galgotias University three months ago, Tushar had been living with his uncle in Beta-2 sector of Greater Noida. His family lives in Etah, Uttar Pradesh.

Another eyewitness Jayesh recounts the dreadful seconds when their worlds changed. At the hospital Jayesh could not even remember who was sitting next to him in the car. “I do not know how I survived. I was sitting in the middle seat when car collided with the road divider. I remember hurting my nose. The car toppled and when I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital,” he said.

Jayesh injured both his hands and nose. He was given first aid and discharged from the hospital.

After the accident, a pall of gloom descended over the campus. Many students rushed to the accident spot even though they did not know who was involved in the fatal crash.

Ayush, another youth who died in the accident, was sitting in the front seat. His parents were informed by his sister who also studies in the same varsity.

”I was home as it was a Sunday; my daughter called me from the hospital. She told me Ayush is in the ICU. By the time I reached I was told he is no more. He was my only son,” Ayush’s father Vinod Jain said.