Dehradun Accident Survivors Father Debunks BMW Street Race Rumours

By Fnf correspondent | PUBLISHED: 16, Nov 2024, 11:44 am IST | UPDATED: 16, Nov 2024, 11:44 am IST

Vipin Agarwal, father of Siddhesh Agrawal (25), who is the lone survivor of the horrific Dehradun accident that claimed six lives urged to not spread rumours about the night leading up to the crash on November 12. Speaking to India Today TV, he requested the public not to believe in unverified or incomplete information about the tragedy.

In an appeal to the public, the father said, "We have lost six children. Their families are in such deep distress that it's impossible to overcome. One child is currently in the ICU, on a ventilator,” India Today TV reported. He urged everyone to show compassion and empathy.

The father’s comments came after multiple media reports claimed that the group had been partying, drinking, and reportedly racing from a BMW before the terrible crash reduced the Innova car into mere pieces, killing six students.

No medical report or autopsy has confirmed alcohol consumption so far. As for the rumors of "a street race with a BMW," police-reviewed CCTV footage shows the car moving at a normal speed, suggesting it only accelerated dangerously moments before the crash. No BMW was spotted in the footage.

Several rumours spreading on social media suggested that some victims were leaning out of the car’s windows or sunroof while it was speeding, leading to two being decapitated. However, there is no confirmation of this claim. Officials believe the severe head injuries resulted from the high-impact crash.

The deceased students have been identified as Kunal Kukreja (23), Atul Agrawal (24), Rishabh Jain (24), Navya Goel (23), Kamakshi (20), and Guneet (19). While Kukreja was from Himachal Pradesh, the others were residents of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

According to PTI, the car was owned by Atul's father, a firecracker businessman from Saharanpur, who had recently purchased it on Dhanteras. Atul, along with six friends, had traveled to Dehradun and was reportedly driving the vehicle at the time of the incident.

The Collison occurred around 1.30 am at Dehradun’s ONGC Chowk when the car slammed in the back of the truck. The preliminary police reports indicated that overspeeding and impaired driving may be one of the causes behind the incident.