Guwahati accident: Car hit truck at 96 km/h, victims had drinks, paid Rs 19000 bill

The investigation into the fatal road accident in Mathgharia, Guwahati, which claimed the lives of three young women, has revealed critical details about the sequence of events leading up to the crash, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Jayanta Sarathi Bora said on Tuesday, April 28.

Addressing a press briefing, Bora stated that the three injured women were initially rushed to Gate Hospital immediately after the accident. The driver, however, was not found at the scene at the time, and the vehicle’s driver-side door was discovered open.

According to police, the vehicle involved in the accident is registered in the name of Pankaj Kumar Dutta, who had rented it to Bhargav Deka. Investigators found that the accused driver, identified as Shamim Ahmed, had requested and taken the vehicle from Deka earlier on the day of the incident.

Officials said GPS data has been instrumental in reconstructing the vehicle’s movement. The car was first located near Rudraksh Mall in Bhangagarh at approximately 11:00 PM, where it remained stationary for a period before resuming movement around 3:00 AM.

CCTV footage from a rooftop bar at Rudraksh Mall confirmed that Shamim Ahmed and the three women were present at the location for nearly five hours. The group reportedly incurred a bill of approximately Rs 19,000 during their stay.

At around 3:00 AM, the group left the premises. GPS tracking indicates that the vehicle subsequently travelled across multiple routes in the city, including GS Road, RG Baruah Road, and Mother Teresa Road.

Bora stated that the vehicle reached a top speed of 130 km/h during this period. At the time of the accident, recorded at 4:02 AM, the car was travelling at approximately 96 km/h when it rammed into the rear of a stationary truck.

Following the collision, the accused driver allegedly fled the scene and attempted to evade arrest. Police said he initially escaped to Shillong, where he altered his appearance by shaving his beard and hair. He subsequently moved through Sivasagar and Dibrugarh and was reportedly planning to cross into Arunachal Pradesh.

Authorities confirmed that Shamim Ahmed has since been detained and is currently under investigation.

The truck driver involved in the incident has also been arrested. Police said a comprehensive probe is underway, covering aspects such as vehicle usage patterns, possible parking violations, and the alleged commercial use of a privately registered vehicle.