Vadodara accident: Law student denies police claims, says he wasn’t drunk or speeding

The 20-year-old law student from Varanasi who rammed his speeding car into two scooters killing one person and injuring 4 others in Vadodara on early Friday morning (March 14) claims that he wasn’t driving drunk that night and that he wasn’t speeding.

The accused, Rakshit Chaurasiya, told the media on Saturday (March 15) that the accident occurred as his view was blocked by the emergency airbag that blew up in his face when his car “touched” the scooter in front as he was trying to negotiate past a pothole while overtaking.

‘Airbag blocked view’

“There is a pothole near the intersection which falls on the stretch I was driving on. Seeing the space, I tried to pass, but due to the pothole, my car touched the scooter in front. According to a report in India Today, this was when the emergency bag burst open and blocked my view, resulting in the collision,” said Rakshit.

Rakshit, with a swollen face covered with bruises, also claimed that the car’s speed at the time of collision was only 50 kms per hour, and that he could only see the scooter and car in front of him. He said he did not see any people walking by the side of the road.

Also Read: Law student rams car into two-wheelers in Vadodara; one killed, 4 injured

When a journalist asked him where he had partied or got drunk on the night of the accident, Rakshit said he did not party, and that he was neither drunk nor on drugs. He said he was returning home after attending Holika Dahan.

He said he had no idea that a woman had died in the accident.

The accident

The accident occurred early Friday morning (March 14) at about 12.30 am near the Karelibag area in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Rakshit was driving the car, and the second accused, Mit Chauhan, a student at a private university in Vadodara and the owner of the car, was a passenger in the car at the time of the accident.

Available footage of the accident shows the car driving at a high speed and crashing into two scooters, knocking down the riders and dragging them along before finally coming to a halt.

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One scooter was being ridden by a woman Hemani Patel, and her minor daughter was with her. They had gone out to buy Holi colours. Hemani died on the spot, while her daughter was injured and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Three other persons were also hurt and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Police version

After the accident, the police told the media that Rakshit was drunk and was speeding when the accident occurred.

A senior cop said that the car was speeding and rammed several people in the Karelibag area, killing one woman and injuring four others who were undergoing treatment in the hospital. The police said they were analysing CCTV footage in the drink-and-drive case, and would file a First Information Report (FIR).

Chauhan, the owner of the car, was arrested a few hours after the accident and underwent a medical test.