Three killed, five injured in accident

At least three persons were killed and five others severely injured in an accident today on the Bavla-Bagodara highway near here, police said.
According to police, the deceased as well as the injured were relatives and were heading to Chotila in Rajkot from Himmatnagar town in Sabarkantha district in a jeep when the incident took place.
While the driver of the jeep Lalji Raval (45) and Pravin Prajapati (36) died on the spot, a 14-year-old boy Vihar Prajapati died during treatment at a local hospital, Assistant Sub Inspector of Bavla Ghanshyamsinh Parmar said.
Describing the sequence of events, the police officer said, "When their jeep came near Ranesar village in Bavla taluka of the district in the wee hours, they found that one of the tyres of their vehicle had got punctured."

Therefore, they parked the jeep by the roadside and started waiting for another vehicle to pass by to seek help, he added.
"Meanwhile, all the eight passengers travelling in the jeep, came out and stood on the road. Soon, a car stopped to help them fix the puncture. However, just then a truck came from behind and hit the car, which in turn hit the passengers of the jeep, who were standing on the road," he added.

While the jeep driver Lalji and Pravin died on the spot, the teenage boy lost his life during treatment at the hospital, Parmar said.

Five other passengers, including two women, were taken to V S Hospital in Ahmedabad for treatment.
A complaint has been lodged against the unidentified truck driver and further investigation is on.