First visuals of a truck accident at the accident-prone spot in Noida’s Sector 150 have surfaced, shedding light on a serious safety lapse that went unaddressed weeks before the fatal crash in which a 27-year-old
software engineer lost his life.
The video shows a heavy truck precariously half-hanging after plunging into an open drain along a poorly secured stretch of road near an under-construction site.
The video footage captures the truck tilted dangerously into a deep pit.
There are no visible barricades, warning signboards or reflectors around the excavation, despite the clear risk it poses to motorists, especially during night hours and in low-visibility conditions.
The visuals suggest that the accident occurred on a dark stretch, underscoring the lack of adequate lighting and safety markings at the site.
According to reports, the incident took place on the night of December 31, but despite the seriousness of the accident and the near-miss it represented, no immediate corrective measures were taken by the authorities or agencies responsible for road safety at the location.
Truck driver Gurwinder Singh, who was involved in the incident, later told CNN-News18 that dense fog played a crucial role in the mishap.
He said there was a car moving ahead of his vehicle, which turned left, while he took a right turn.
“On the way ahead, there was a drain on the side of the road. Due to the fog and low visibility, my vehicle plunged into the drain,” he recalled.
Singh also pointed to the complete absence of warnings.
“There were no signboards to alert us about the drain,” he said.
After losing balance, the truck fell into the pit, leaving him trapped for hours.
A passerby on a scooty noticed the situation and raised an alarm, gathering people from nearby areas.
Singh said he remained stranded for nearly three to four hours and even offered to pay for a JCB to be brought in for rescue.
Eventually, he was pulled out using a ladder. He survived with help from locals, calling it a matter of luck.
THE FATAL CRASH IN NOIDA SECTOR 150
The surfacing of the video has drawn sharp attention because the same spot later witnessed a fatal accident, in the wee hours of January 17, when software engineer Yuvraj Mehta’s car plunged into the unbarricaded, water-filled pit during dense fog.
The incident triggered widespread outrage, protests by residents and allegations that basic safety norms were ignored despite earlier warning signs, including the truck accident now seen in the visuals.
Residents have questioned why no action was taken after the truck mishap, arguing that timely barricading, signage and lighting could have prevented the later tragedy.
OFFICIAL ACTION ON YUVRAJ MEHTA’s DEATH
Following Mehta’s death, the authorities announced a series of measures.
The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority ordered an immediate overhaul of road safety arrangements, directing officials to identify and rectify potholes, mark accident-prone “black spots” and install reflectors, barricades and directional signage within a fixed timeframe.
Street lighting checks and strict compliance with safety norms at construction sites were also mandated.
Separately, the Noida Authority terminated a junior engineer and issued show-cause notices to other officials responsible for traffic-related works in Sector 150.
FIRs were registered against two real estate developers based on the victim’s family’s complaint, while authorities maintained that all possible rescue efforts were made despite near-zero visibility.
