On Sunday afternoon, Arti was returning to her village in Sonipat, Haryana, after a brief trip to Delhi. Accompanying her were her two-year-old daughter, Devanshi, who was seated on her friend Jyoti’s lap in the front passenger seat, and Jyoti’s father, Ravindra Singh, aged 47, along with two other individuals.
Due to a malfunctioning air conditioner, the car’s windows were rolled down. As they approached a traffic signal on the GT Karnal Highway in the Alipur area of Outer North Delhi around 2 PM, their vehicle was struck from behind by a speeding Toyota Fortuner when the signal turned green. The force of the collision was so intense that it propelled Devanshi out of the car, according to police reports. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Both Arti, Jyoti, and Ravindra sustained injuries from the accident.
The driver of the SUV allegedly abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. Authorities have initiated a manhunt to locate him.
Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Arti, who is a teacher, expressed her frustration at the lack of assistance from bystanders when she sought help immediately after the incident. Eventually, a man in an e-rickshaw came to their aid and took them to the hospital, despite having a fractured leg himself.
Devanshi’s family is originally from Sewli village in Sonipat. Arti stated that they had traveled to Delhi for some errands and were on their way back to Sonipat when the tragic accident occurred at the Khampur traffic signal near Bakoli village, as reported by the Outer North District Police.
According to Ravindra Singh’s complaint, the SUV was traveling at a high speed. The impact was so severe that their car, a Maruti Celerio, spun around and collided with the road divider.
In his statement, Singh noted, “We had the windows down because the AC was not functioning. My daughter, Jyoti, was holding the child in her lap when we were struck from behind by a speeding vehicle.” The police confirmed that the child was found on the road with serious head injuries and was taken to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra (SRHC) Hospital in Narela, where she was later declared dead.
Authorities have seized both vehicles involved in the incident for forensic analysis. A case has been registered under sections 281 and 106(1) of the BNS.
The investigation has been assigned to the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal of the Outer North District Police. An officer mentioned that they are reviewing CCTV footage to track the suspect’s movements.
