Vadodara:
The Volkswagen Virtus sedan at the centre of the Vadodara crash hit the scooters at such speed that parts of one were flying in the air moments after the impact, according to a youngster who survived the accident with injuries. Vikas Kewalani is among the seven people injured in the accident. The crash claimed the life of 35-year-old Hemali Patel, who was with her husband Purav and daughter on one of the scooters.
Speaking to news agency ANI from a hospital bed, Vikas Kewalani narrated what happened that night. “I stay in Fatehganj. I was out with my siblings and neighbours to grab some refreshments. Our neighbor Hemaliben Patel has died, and her husband Purabbhai Patel is critical. We were on two-wheelers. Suddenly, a car hit us from behind. It was being driven at a very high speed. When I was falling from the scooter, my eyes were open. And I saw that parts of the other scooter (which Purab and Hemali were riding) were flying in the air. The couple suffered serious injuries,” Vikas said.
#WATCH | One woman has died, and four others are injured after an overspeeding four-wheeler rammed into a two-wheeler on 14th March
Gujarat: Vikas Kewalani, Vadodara Car accident victim, says, ” Two people from my society and I had gone out for refreshment. One of them was… pic.twitter.com/8HRauOVq1L
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2025
Vikas, his brother Jayesh and sister Komal have suffered fractures in the crash.
Rakshit Chaurasia, a 23-year-old law student at MS University, Vadodara, has been arrested for the crash and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Police are investigating if he was driving under the influence. A rapid test has confirmed the presence of drugs in Rakshit’s blood but a detailed report is awaited.
Vikas Kevlani said traffic fines alone cannot prevent such incidents. “Fine is not the solution. Only if there is strict action will they understand what they have done,” he said.
A video of Rakshit exiting the car after the crash and screaming seemingly incoherent words — “another round”, “Nikita” and “Om Namah Shivay” has gone viral. The accused has claimed he was neither drunk nor speeding and blamed airbags for the crash. “We were overtaking a scooter, we turned right. There was a pothole and the car touched the other vehicle and the airbag opened. Our vision was hampered and the car went out of control,” he told the media. “I was told that one woman has died and a few have sustained injuries. I want to meet the family of the victims, it is my fault,” he said. Vikas said Rakshit appeared to be in a mood of “enjoyment”. “He is intoxicated. No one in a normal condition would behave like this.”
He said he would fight for justice. “Hemaliben was like my sister. She should get justice and the young generation should know the impact of such acts,” Vikas said.
