The family of a Delhi couple who tragically died after being left trapped in their mangled car for nearly eight hours on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway last week has raised serious questions regarding the severe apathy of both the public and responsible authorities, which they believe directly led to the two deaths.
The victims, 42-year-old Lacchi Ram and 38-year-old Kusum Lata, died last Tuesday after their WagonR was involved in two separate collisions over a span of 22 minutes. Crucially, both drivers fled the scene, leaving the couple trapped and bleeding inside the crushed vehicle.
The Sequence of Horror and Negligence
According to investigators reviewing CCTV footage, the initial crash occurred when a multi-axle dumper truck pushed the couple’s Wagon-R into the side lane. The second crash, 22 minutes later at 12:14 AM, involved a speeding white Maruti Ertiga, whose driver reversed after the impact and also fled. Investigators suggest the couple appeared to have survived the initial collision.
The true horror unfolded in the hours that followed:
- Eight-Hour Wait: The mangled car sat stationary on the side of the busy expressway for nearly eight hours, with its doors jammed shut, as hundreds of vehicles passed by without stopping to render aid.
- Discovery: It was not until 7:38 AM—nearly eight hours after the first crash—that the police received the first alert from local villagers walking along the road who spotted the wreck and the couple’s bodies inside.
Ram’s father, Devi Singh (64), expressed the family’s deep anguish: “This is not how they should have died… But to die waiting for help that never came – how can the authorities be so irresponsible?” He recounted desperately calling their phones through the night until a policeman finally answered after 8 AM, confirming their deaths.
Family Questions Authority’s Role
The family pointedly questioned the effectiveness of the expressway’s official monitoring systems.
Nahar Singh (62), Ram’s maternal uncle, challenged the authorities directly:
“How could everyone miss an entire mangled car with two persons trapped and bleeding inside. It clearly means that either they were negligent or that all patrols are only taking place on paper.”
“We were told that National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) patrol vehicles pass every hour. How did they not see the crushed car?”
Singh also stated that the expressway stretch is monitored by both the NHAI and local police units, demanding: “Where were police patrol teams? They would have survived if timely help had been extended.”
Ram’s cousin, Deepak Singh, lamented the loss, believing Kusum Lata, who had no visible injuries, might have survived had the Ertiga driver stopped. “Ram had severe head injuries and broken legs, but even then, if someone had stopped…” his voice trailed off, emphasizing the cost of the apathy they experienced.