Nadiad: Ten people lost their lives in an accident that occurred on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway near Nadiad on Wednesday when a car collided with the back of a parked oil tanker. A day after the mishap, the police have begun the probe to determine whether the car was being used as a taxi, as the passengers were unrelated and traveling to various destinations. The police have arrested the driver of the oil tanker for negligence and culpable homicide not amounting to murder, while the deceased Car (LUV) driver has also been booked under similar sections.

Nadiad Rural Police Inspector Kirit Chaudhary told the media that the police are examining if the vehicle was routinely deployed for inter-city shuttle services or if it was hired by an individual, considering the passengers’ lack of connection. It is believed that most of the travelers boarded from Vadodara and were headed to Ahmedabad, with some possibly going to Deesa. The police are attempting to locate the owners for further information.

The FIR against the oil tanker driver, Imityaz Ansari, and Car driver, Surendra Singh Rawat, attributes the tragedy to their negligence. It alleges that Ansari parked the tanker in the left lane of the Expressway without activating parking lights or deploying any visible hazard indicators. Despite claiming a technical breakdown, Ansari failed to seek assistance from highway authorities or any emergency agencies, remaining inside his cabin during the accident. Meanwhile, Rawat is accused of attempting to overtake in the emergency lane despite being aware of the risks, resulting in the loss of his life and nine others.

In other developments, a local court has remanded Ansari to judicial custody as of Thursday. DeshGujarat