A tragic road accident in Gujarat’s Vadodara left one woman dead and four others injured after a speeding car, allegedly driven by a 20-year-old law student, Rakshit Chaurasia, rammed into multiple two-wheelers near Muktanand crossroads in the Karelibaug area on the intervening night of March 13 and 14.
Chaurasia, who was arrested following the incident, has denied being under the influence of alcohol and blamed a pothole for the mishap. Speaking to the media, he claimed that he was driving at 50 km/hr when the car’s airbag deployed, obstructing his view.
“We were going ahead of the scooty, we were turning right, and there was a pothole on the road. The car slightly touched the other vehicle, and the airbag opened suddenly, hampering our vision. The car went out of control,” Chaurasia told ANI.
#WATCH | Vadodara, Gujarat: One woman has died, and four others are injured after an overspeeding four-wheeler rammed into a two-wheeler (14/03).
— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2025
Accused Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia claims, " We were going ahead of the scooty, we were turning right and there was a pothole on the… pic.twitter.com/7UMundtDXH
He further insisted that he had not consumed alcohol. “I did not party. I went for Holika Dahan and was not drunk… Today, I was told that one woman has died and a few have sustained injuries. I want to meet the victims' families. It is my fault, and whatever they want should happen,” he added.
However, CCTV footage from the scene appears to contradict his claims. The video shows the car moving at high speed before making a sharp turn and hitting the two-wheeler. Eyewitnesses also alleged that Chaurasia appeared intoxicated at the time of the accident.
"He was behaving erratically, shouting ‘Another round, another round,’ then calling out a girl’s name, ‘Nikita, Nikita,’ before suddenly chanting ‘Om Namah Shivay,’” an eyewitness told the police, as per Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya.
The victim, identified as Hemali Patel, died on the spot, while four others were injured. The police are investigating whether Chaurasia was indeed drunk at the time of the accident, as suggested by eyewitness accounts and video evidence.
