Executive killed, 2 colleagues hurt in office car crash on E M Bypass

KOLKATA: A young executive of a multinational consultancy firm was killed and two of his colleagues were injured on way to work early Wednesday morning when the office pool car in which the three were travelling crashed into the median divider on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass near Chingrighata crossing. The car spun around after crashing into the divider and came in the way of an onrushing vehicle, leading to a second impact.

The car was travelling above the 60 km/h speed limit on this road but had not pushed to 80 km/h, a police officer said.

Sudip Chakraborty, the 30-year-old victim, was in the seat behind the driver and should have survived but for the seat belt that wasn’t strapped. In the twin impacts, Chakraborty’s body was thrown forward and his head smashed into the rear of the driver’s seat first and then back into his own neck rest in a matter of seconds. Doctors who examined the body identified critical injuries to the head as the reason for his death.

Police said the accident could have occurred either due to the driver falling asleep at the wheel or the bursting of a tyre that resulted in loss of control over the vehicle.

The driver had picked up the trio from their residences in south Kolkata and was travelling to the PwC office in Rajarhat when it met with the accident at 7.05 am.

Passengers in the back, not wearing seat belts, were worst hit, say cops

According to witnesses, the vehicle rammed the median divider after crossing Metropolitan. The impact to the front right of the car spun it 180°, putting it in the way of oncoming traffic. While several cars missed hitting the vehicle, a multi-utility vehicle couldn’t avoid smashing straight into the car. This time, too, it was the front right that bore the brunt of the impact.

CCTV and skid marks suggested that the car travelling towards Chingrighata had climbed about 3ft up the median platform, travelled a few feet, collided with a lamp post and then spun around when the MUV crashed into it. Though some locals claimed the car had toppled, police ruled out the possibility after examining the skid marks and the damage to the car’s exterior.

While driver Ajay Roy and co-passenger Dhritiman Ghosh, who was in the front seat, were severely jolted, they avoided fatal injuries as both had their seat belts strapped. In the rear seat though, seat belt isn’t enforced, and hence, Sudip Chakraborty and colleague Angsuman Dey weren’t wearing them.

“It is most likely that the driver dozed off with the window rolled down and the occupants in the rear seat — those not wearing seat belts — were the worst affected,” said an officer.

Ghosh suffered a fracture in his hand and was discharged after first aid. Dey suffered injuries on his head and fractures on his left ring finger and palm. Roy, a resident of Kasba, was injured in the chest and abdomen.

According to police, Chakraborty lived with his elder sister on Naskar Road and his father is posted in

Alipurduar

. Ghosh is a resident of

Bansdroni

.