Lucknow: A UP Roadways bus crashed into three motorcycles, a car and a tractor, killing four men – all of them bikers – after its driver lost consciousness on the wheels while passing through Greater Noida’s Dankaur on Wednesday afternoon.
Karan (22) from Sikanderabad, Madan (26) from Hathras and Sunil (30) from Bulandshahr died on the spot, while Kamlesh (35) from Mirzapur succumbed to injuries in hospital. None of the 20 bus passengers was injured.
Police said the bus driver, Devendra, was taken to a clinic in the city and tests will be carried out to diagnose what may have caused him to fall unconscious.
An FIR was registered at the Dankaur police station against the bus driver.
“A complaint was filed by the family members of the bikers who died, and a case of rash driving and causing death by negligence was registered. We will record the statement of the driver once he is fit,” said ACP Sushil Ganga Prasad.
This is the second such accident in the past few months. In September, a Roadways bus veered off the Delhi-Meerut Expressway in Ghaziabad and rammed into the railing after its driver suffered a heart attack. Some of the 50 bus passengers were injured.
The latest incident occurred around 1pm on Wednesday as the UPSRTC bus was moving towards Bulandshahr from Dankaur.
“The bus was approaching a main road from Mandi Shyan Nagar bridge when the driver apparently had a medical episode and lost consciousness. As passengers tried to take control of the steering wheel, the bus collided with an Apache motorcycle, killing its rider Karan (22) on the spot,” said additional DCP (Greater Noida) Ashok Kumar.
The bus veered off course, sped and hit the motorcycle that Sunil was riding. “He was flung from the bike, and he died immediately,” Kumar said.
The bus, while descending from the bridge, collided with a third bike with two passengers. “Madan died on the spot as well, while Kamlesh was critically injured… The bus was still out of control and hit a parked car and a tractor, both with no occupants, before coming to a halt. By that time, the driver was starting to gain consciousness and the passengers managed to take the steering wheel,” the additional DCP said.
The ACP said that Kamlesh was rushed to NIMS hospital in the city, where he died of his injuries.
Cops were also deployed to keep a check on the protests by locals near Astauli village after the crash.
Prasad said autopsies will be carried out, and the driver will be made to undergo tests to check if he suffered from any medical ailment. “The matter is being investigated,” the ACP said.
