BAREILLY: Kheri police on Sunday arrested the truck driver whose rash driving claimed the lives of six people who were part of a crowd rescuing an injured bike rider on a state highway near Lakhimpur city on Saturday night. Cops said that the driver, identified as Lakhanlal Pandey (50), was in an inebriated state at the time of the incident as per his medical report. A team of experts conducted the technical inspection of the vehicle and found that the brakes and the steering of the truck were functioning properly.
The accident took place when the speeding truck rammed into a group that had gathered on the road following a minor collision between a car and a scooter near Pangi Khurd village in Kheri. Five people died on the spot while a 17-year-old boy, identified as Rohit Kumar, succumbed to injuries during treatment at the district hospital. Three people were taken to a medical centre in Lucknow where their condition was critical, said police.
Circle officer of Lakhimpur Sadar, Sandeep Singh, told TOI, “The truck driver works with a transport company in Kheri. On Saturday, he was headed towards his company after unloading sacks of cement at Dhaurahra when the accident took place.” Meanwhile, district magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh met the family members of the deceased on Sunday. “A compensation of Rs 2 lakh will be given to the family members of the deceased and the people who were grievously injured will be provided Rs 50,000 as compensation,” the DM said.