Vadodara Diwali Tragedy: Drunk Driver Kills 4-Year-Old, Injures Four Others
A drunk driver overturned his car on a sleeping family in Vadodara, killing a 4-year-old child.
A heart-wrenching Diwali turned deadly in Vadodara when a speeding car, allegedly driven by an intoxicated man, overturned onto a roadside family, killing a 4-year-old boy and injuring four others, including his parents and relative, police confirmed on Wednesday. The incident unfolded around midnight near Vishwamitri Road in the Manjalpur area, where the family—Jagdish, his wife Sonia, their daughter Asha, and the unidentified young son—was sleeping on the pavement amid the festive chill. According to authorities, 32-year-old Nitin Jha, hailing from a nearby locality, was racing his sedan from Manjalpur when he slammed into a police barrier, lost control, and flipped the vehicle directly onto the sleeping group.
The car's front tyre crushed the child's head, causing instantaneous death, while the others sustained severe injuries from the wreckage. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene lit by Diwali fireworks, with the family's meagre belongings—a few blankets and utensils—scattered amid the debris. The victims, daily wage labourers originally from Rajasthan, had migrated to Vadodara for work and often resorted to roadside rests due to unaffordable housing, a plight common among the city's 200,000-plus migrant underclass per local census data.
In the aftermath, Jha stumbled out and attempted to bolt toward Akshar Chowk, but irate locals—roused by screams and the crunch of metal—pursued and apprehended him, raining blows on the car in fury. A viral video circulating on social media captured the bottle of liquor tumbling from the wreckage, fuelling the crowd's outrage and prompting chants against reckless driving during festivals. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ashok Rathwa, who rushed to the site, recounted: "The accused came speeding from Manjalpur, rammed the police barrier, lost control, and overturned the car on the family. The tyre went over the child's head. Locals caught him when he tried to escape."
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagdish Chavda reinforced the gravity: "A liquor bottle was recovered from the vehicle. His blood sample will be taken to confirm intoxication. This is a very serious case. Legal action will be strict, and no leniency will be shown." Jha, now in custody at Raopura Police Station, claims the car belongs to his friend Naimish Jain, a detail under verification alongside forensic tests on seized items.
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This tragedy spotlights Gujarat's escalating road safety crisis, where drunk driving claims over 3,000 lives annually, according to 2024 state transport department figures—a 12% spike from pre-pandemic levels, exacerbated by lax enforcement during holidays like Diwali. The dry state, under prohibition since 1960, ironically sees bootleg liquor fuelling such mishaps, with 40% of accidents linked to alcohol per National Crime Records Bureau stats. Vadodara, a bustling industrial hub with 2 million residents, has witnessed similar horrors, including a 2023 festival pile-up injuring 15. The injured family members were rushed to SSG Hospital, where Sonia and Asha underwent emergency surgeries for fractures and lacerations; Jagdish remains critical with internal bleeding. Child rights activists decry the loss as a failure of urban welfare, urging shelters and night patrols for vulnerable migrants.
As investigations proceed, Jha faces charges under Sections 304 (culpable homicide), 337 (causing hurt by rash act), and 338 (grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code, plus Motor Vehicles Act violations, potentially drawing 10 years' imprisonment. Community leaders have demanded compensation—Gujarat's Victim Compensation Scheme offers up to ₹2 lakh for fatalities—and stricter sobriety checkpoints. In a city aglow with diyas symbolising light over darkness, this roadside nightmare serves as a grim reminder: festive joy must not eclipse basic humanity and road discipline.
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