A return journey from a religious pilgrimage ended in an immense tragedy when seven friends decided to pull over on a highway overbridge to capture pictures in the early hours of Monday. An overspeeding heavy commercial truck rammed violently into their stationary Mahindra Scorpio along the Prayagraj-Varanasi section of National Highway-19 under Mirzamurad police station limits. The devastating crash claimed the lives of four young men on the spot and left three others battling severe injuries in medical care.
Early Morning Tragedy Near Rupapur Village
The fatal accident occurred around 6:00 AM on Monday near Rupapur village on National Highway-19. The group of seven men was returning to Varanasi after offering prayers at the famous Vindhyachal Dham in the neighbouring Mirzapur district. As their vehicle reached the elevated overbridge corridor, they decided to pull over along the edge to click photos. The occupants exited the SUV and stood against the bridge railing to take selfies against the morning landscape.
Moments later, a speeding commercial truck approaching from behind slammed directly into the rear of the stationary Scorpio and struck the pedestrians standing beside it. The sheer force of the impact obliterated the rear section of the SUV, crushing the metal framework completely and leaving widespread debris across the elevated roadway.
Victims Hurled Thirty Feet Down from Flyover
The severity of the collision was such that two of the young men standing near the perimeter railing were violently hurled over the barrier, plunging approximately 30 feet to the ground below. The sudden crash triggered chaos and panic among early-morning commuters traveling on the highway corridor. Alert motorists immediately contacted emergency services, prompting a swift response from local police teams who initiated rescue operations alongside nearby residents.
First responders deployed ambulances to transport the injured victims to a nearby hospital, where attending doctors described their clinical conditions as critical. Authorities have identified three of the deceased victims as Aman Yadav, Golu, and Alok Mishra, while formal identification of the fourth deceased remains underway. Among those undergoing treatment, two have been identified as Kanhaiya Yadav and Nikhil Kumar, with efforts ongoing to identify the third injured passenger. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examinations.
Truck Abandoned as Driver Flees Scene
Following the crash, the truck driver drove ahead for a short distance before abandoning the heavy vehicle on the highway shoulder and fleeing on foot. Law enforcement officials have impounded the offending truck and are reviewing surveillance feeds from nearby toll plazas and highway CCTV networks to trace the absconding driver. An inspection inside the mangled Scorpio revealed ceremonial religious items, including packets of prasad, traditional chunris, and coconuts, confirming their return trip from temple prayers.
Preliminary findings point to the hazardous stopping of a personal vehicle on a high-speed overbridge as a major factor contributing to the incident. Authorities stated that a comprehensive investigation into the exact circumstances is ongoing while efforts intensify to apprehend the truck driver and initiate formal legal proceedings.
