Gutkha spitting at 100 kmph triggers crash in Chhattisgarh; 1 killed

Driver opened door of speeding Innova to spit gutkha, causing the car to flip multiple times; businessman killed, two others critically injured

A reckless act behind the wheel turned deadly in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district on Monday, after a speeding Toyota Innova crashed when its driver opened the door mid-drive to spit gutkha, reported the Times of India. The incident led to the death of a 31-year-old businessman and left three others injured, two of them critically.

Fatal crash on Bilaspur-Raipur highway

 

The accident occurred on the Bilaspur-Raipur highway when the driver, reportedly travelling at over 100 kmph, lost control of the vehicle while spitting gutkha. The Innova flipped multiple times, crashing into two vehicles and injuring an additional person.

 

The deceased has been identified as Jackie Gehi, a cloth merchant from Chakarbhatha, located on the outskirts of Bilaspur. Police said Gehi had attended a late-night party on Sunday, June 1, and had called his friend Akash Chandani for a ride home. Chandani arrived with another friend, Pankaj Chhabra. Jackie sat in the back, while Pankaj occupied the front passenger seat. 

 

Door opened at high speed led to loss of control

 

While driving at high speed, Akash allegedly opened the driver-side door to spit gutkha, which caused the vehicle to destabilise and flip violently. The car hit a divider, somersaulted several times, and collided with a stationary commercial vehicle before crashing into a Maruti Ertiga.

 

The impact was so intense that all three occupants were ejected from the Innova. Jackie was flung into a roadside metal pole and sustained fatal injuries to his chest, head, and shoulders. He died on the spot. Akash and Pankaj suffered serious injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.

Chain collision injures another

 

As the Innova continued to careen across the highway, it slammed into a parked commercial vehicle and then crashed into an Ertiga. The Ertiga driver, who was seated inside and had not yet started the engine, was also injured in the collision.

 

CCTV footage captured the horrific sequence of events, showing the vehicle flipping across the road and a passenger being hurled into a pole.

 

Police cordoned off the accident site and facilitated emergency medical aid for the injured. The mangled remains of the Innova were later cleared from the highway. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.