Hyderabad: A tragic accident on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) on Saturday early morning claimed the lives of three youngsters. The victims, identified as Deepesh Agrawal, 23, Sanchay Malpani, 22, and Priyanshu Mittal, 23, were burned alive after their car caught fire following a collision. The incident occurred around 2 am, approximately 100 metres before the Gandi Cheruvu bridge. Deepesh, along with his friends on a joyride, was driving from Shamshabad towards Ghatkesar in a newly purchased car.
Ramana, driver of an SUV, was entering the city with a load of mangoes heading to the Kothapet fruit market. He noticed another SUV, which had broken down and was stranded on the roadside divider. Aiming to help, Ramana parked his vehicle on the opposite side of the road, near the divider. However, there were no safety reflectors or warning indicators to signal the hazard.
At that moment, Deepesh, driving at an estimated speed of 140 km/h, spotted the parked SUV too late. In a desperate attempt to avoid a collision, he swerved the car but lost control and crashing into the SUV. The impact was catastrophic, causing the car to ignite almost immediately. The driver of the parked SUV attempted to separate the two vehicles to prevent the fire from spreading, but the flames quickly intensified.
Deepesh Agrawal and Sanchay Malpani were trapped inside the car and were burnt alive before help could arrive. Priyanshu Mittal was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to LB Nagar Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The Abdullapurmet police have registered a case against Ramana, charging him with causing death by negligence. Inspector V. Ashok Reddy confirmed that investigations are underway, with the fire department and motor vehicle inspector being consulted to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether any safety protocols were violated.
