Four dead as drunk trucker ploughs into Hapur dhaba

MEERUT: Four people were killed and three others were injured after a speeding truck ploughed into a roadside dhaba (eatery) in Dhaulana area of Hapur late on Wednesday night. Police said the truck driver was drunk and he was arrested. According to police, the accident took place around 10 pm. The deceased were identified as Mohd Waseem (45) and Shamsher Khan, both were daily wagers and natives of Bihar.They were having dinner after finishing their work.
The other two who died were the dhaba operator Arun Chauhan (28) and his business partner’s nephew Jeetu (17), both were from Kasganj district. Jeetu was a student of class 11. The injured people have been identified as Mahendra Kumar of Kasganj and two other labourers from Etah. They were rushed to a hospital in Meerut city. “The truck was on its way from Baghpat to a beverage factory in Dhaulana industrial area to load goods,” said Hapur superintendent of police Abhishek Verma.
“The truck driver, who was drunk at the time of the accident, was arrested. He has been identified as Ravindra Kumar, in his late 30s. He is a resident of Daurala village in Dhaulana,” said Dhaulana SHO Devendra Bisht. “On the basis of a complaint filed by Jeetu’s uncle, an FIR under IPC section 304A (causing death due to negligence) and 279 (rash driving) has been registered against the truck driver. The bodies have been handed over to their families after postmortem,” added Bisht. Police said Waseem is survived by his wife and six children. He was the sole breadwinner of the family. Shamsher is survived by his wife and two children. Their families live in Bihar.