PHAGWARA: In a tragic road accident near the Dhilwan flyover in Kapurthala district late last night, two people lost their lives and one sustained serious injuries after a speeding Innova car collided with a stationary tractor attached to a sugar beet machine.
According to police, the car was returning from Ludhiana to Amritsar when the incident occurred. The deceased have been identified as Pankaj Aneja (55), a textile businessman from Amritsar who was driving the car, and an unidentified individual believed to have been seated in the front passenger seat. Aneja died on the spot.
The third occupant of the vehicle, Shashipal, who was seated in the rear seat, sustained critical injuries. He was initially taken to a hospital in Beas but was later shifted to a medical facility in Amritsar, where he remains under treatment. Aneja’s brother, Ravinder Kumar, who was seated in the front passenger seat, suffered minor injuries and survived the crash.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Dalvinderbir Singh of Dhilwan police station stated that the Innova crashed into the tractor from the driver’s side. The tractor was reportedly parked on the roadside due to a punctured tire and was not properly marked or illuminated.
Following the incident, police reached the scene and seized both the tractor and the sugar beet harvesting machine. The tractor driver, identified as Partap Singh, a resident of Alewal village in Zira, Ferozepur, fled the scene and is currently absconding. An FIR has been registered against him under relevant sections based on a statement by Ravinder Kumar.
Police have launched a search operation to locate and arrest the accused. The bodies have been sent for postmortem and were handed over to the families after the examination.