A late-night road journey ended in a fatal collision in Jamshedpur, claiming the lives of four friends who were Class 12 students.

They were: 

1. Trisha Singh(18), younger daughter of Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh

2. Naman Gupta (17), resident of Sonari, son of Rajiv Gupta, owner of a Bakery shop in Sonari, Jamshedpur

3. Sarthak Agrawal (18), Son of Chetan Agrawal, GST Advisor/ lawyer, was a resident of Sonari in Jamshedpur.

4. Vanshika Khandelwal (17), daughter of Pankaj Khandelwal, owner of Steel Sariya.

Sequence of events- Date: 23-24, intervening night

1. 10.00 PM Wednesday: A large commercial truck/trailer broke down on the four-lane National Highway stretch of Marine Drive near Domuhani in Jamshedpur. The truck was left stationary on the roadside near the divider without adequate warning markers or safety signals deployed.

2.1.30 -1.45 AM: Naman on his bike reached the residence of Sarthak. Both got into his father’s car, driven by Sarthak.

3..2.00 AM: Both reached Trisha's residence, where Vanshika was. After Naman and Sarthak arrived, Trisha and Vanshika got into the white colour Swift car and left for what Trisha’s father said was 'taking part in a birthday.’

4. At 3.50 AM, an accident took place after their car collided with a truck on Marine Drive in Jamshedpur’s Sonari area early Thursday.

Reports said the car was running at a high speed of 120 km/ per hour.

The bodies were eventually taken out with the help of a gas cutter after cutting through the damaged car.
The accident of these four friends has drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding the collision and the safety of vehicles left on the roadside.

Rescue Effort at the Crash Site

The impact trapped all four occupants inside the mangled vehicle. Police and local residents reached the site and used gas cutters and rescue equipment to cut through the damaged car and retrieve the bodies. They were subsequently taken to MGM Medical College and Hospital for postmortem examinations.

Police said the truck had reportedly been left at the roadside following a breakdown. The exact circumstances of the collision, including contributing factors, remain under investigation.

Condolences From State Leadership

Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed condolences to Minister Deepika Pandey Singh and the families of the other victims. Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar also conveyed his condolences.

The Questions Beyond the Crash

The tragedy leaves both families and the wider community confronting an irreversible loss. The continuing investigation must establish the circumstances of the collision clearly, while the incident also underscores the importance of roadside safety and responsible handling of disabled vehicles.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/jharkhand/jharkhand-minister-deepika-pandey-singhs-daughter-and-three-others-die-in-road-accident/article71502834.ece