Rajkot: In yet another tragic road accident in Rajkot city, a college-going girl lost her life early Tuesday morning after being hit by a speeding dumper. The incident occurred between 7:30 am and 7:45 am near Hanuman Madhi Chowk, when the dumper driver knocked down two cousins riding an Activa scooter to college. The deceased, 20-year-old Juhi Tarunbhai Nadiyapara, sustained fatal injuries to her leg and waist as the dumper’s wheel ran over her, while the rider, Nisha Merubhai Rananga, miraculously escaped with minor injuries.

Juhi and Nisha, both in the third year of B.Com at Kansagara College, were on their way to class when the accident took place. According to details, Juhi’s father, Tarunbhai Nadiyapara, had dropped Juhi at Shital Park Circle, where Nisha picked her up on her Activa scooter. The two then headed towards college but were struck near Hanuman Madhi Chowk by the dumper speeding from Raiya Chowk. Juhi fell unconscious after the impact and was rushed to Rajkot Civil Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries during treatment. On learning of the accident, distraught family members rushed to the hospital.

Tarunbhai Nadiyapara, a resident of Bajrangwadi Circle, runs a mobile phone shop in Ambedkarnagar on Nana Mava Road. Juhi was the eldest of three siblings. The cousins used to travel to college together every day, meeting at Shital Park Circle before riding together.

According to Nisha, just before they could turn from Hanuman Madhi towards Nirmala Road, the dumper approached at reckless speed and hit their Activa while overtaking, leading to the tragic accident. The sudden death has left the family in deep grief. Following the incident, staff from the Rajkot Civil Hospital outpost informed Gandhigram Police, who took up further legal procedures and moved the body for post-mortem.

The dumper driver, identified as Madhubhai Naranbhai Vaghela (age 56), a resident of Raiyadhar’s Maftiyapara area, has been arrested by Gandhigram Police. According to the investigation, he was transporting crushed stones (kapchi) to a house under construction on Racecourse Ring Road when the accident occurred at Hanuman Madhi Chowk. The driver holds a valid heavy vehicle driving license valid until 2028. Police noted that a separate offense will also be registered for violating the municipal ban on heavy vehicles operating within city limits between 6 am and 9 pm. DeshGujarat