10 in car including 5-year-old killed as it rams into truck on Gujarat expressway

Ahmedabad: Ten persons, all travelling in a light utility vehicle, were killed when their vehicle collided with a stationery truck on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway (National Expressway 1) on Wednesday.
Eight persons were killed on the spot while two succumbed to their injuries while being treated at a nearby hospital, officials said.
The deceased included the driver of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, which collided with an oil tanker that had halted on the expressway due to a mechanical fault.
Two ambulances and an express highway patrol team were rushed to the spot after the accident.
“We have apprehended and questioned the driver of the truck, which bears Maharashtra registration and was en route from Pune to Jammu. The driver asserted that he had halted the vehicle due to a technical issue, and within ten minutes, the Ertiga car came from behind and collided with it. It’s possible that the car driver attempted to overtake from the left side. However, the precise cause of the accident remains unknown,” Rajesh Gadhiya, superintendent of police, Kheda, told HT over the phone.
Gadhiya added that among the deceased was a five-year-old girl with all others being adults. He indicated that the passengers hailed from different cities, and authorities have thus far managed to contact families of seven of the deceased.
“While one person is from Deesa, another is from Vadodara, a third from Ahmedabad, and one from Maharashtra. We are unaware of the origin and destination of the passengers in the Ertiga. Sadly, the driver of the car is also deceased. Our efforts are now directed towards reaching out to the owner, who seems to be away with family for a holiday,” according to Gadhiya.