Three young tennis players died and three others sustained injuries after their Maruti Suzuki Ertiga collided with a truck from behind on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Travelling at approximately 100 kmph from Lucknow to Deoria, the victims were caught asleep when the high-speed crash occurred around 5:30 AM.
In a tragic road accident in Uttar Pradesh, three tennis players were killed and three others injured after their car crashed into the rear of a truck on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur early Wednesday. The accident took place around 5.30 am near Sukhbaderi in the Dhanpatganj police station area, police said. The six players were travelling from Lucknow to Deoria after taking part in a sporting event.
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Car crashes into truck at high speed
According to preliminary information, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga was travelling at around 100 kmph when it rammed into the back of the truck.
The collision was so severe that the car was badly damaged and the occupants became trapped inside. Police and local residents broke open the vehicle and pulled all six players out.
They were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared three of them dead. The deceased were identified as Nitya Prajapati, 22, and Irfan Ansari, 20, both from Deoria, and Aniket, 24, from Bhagalpur.
The three injured players were identified as Anand Yadav, 23, Raju, 22, and Jayanto Sharma, 30, from Birbhum in West Bengal. They were later referred to Ayodhya Medical College for further treatment.
Players were returning from Lucknow event
According to police, Sharma told investigators that most of the occupants were asleep when the crash happened. They were jolted awake by the impact.
Police are investigating the circumstances that led to the collision. Preliminary information suggests that speed may have been a factor, although the exact cause of the crash is yet to be established.
The truck driver fled the spot after the accident and is being traced by police.
The crash has left three young tennis players dead and three others undergoing treatment, while investigators continue to piece together what happened on the expressway in the early hours of Wednesday.