5 killed, 4 injured as SUV mows down Good Samaritans in Gonda

Lucknow: In a tragic chain-reaction accident on the Gonda–Lucknow highway, five people — including two brothers and an uncle-nephew duo — were killed early Thursday when a speeding SUV ran over bystanders who had stopped to help an injured motorcyclist. Four others were injured.

The incident occurred around 12.30am near Narayanpur Mod under Katra Bazar/Karnailganj police limits, about 35 km from Gonda headquarters.

Police said the victims had gathered to assist one Sanjay Tiwari (33), a clerk at Karnailganj tehsil, whose motorcycle was hit from behind by a dumper, causing him to fall into a roadside ditch. Injured and unable to move, Tiwari raised an alarm, drawing the attention of passersby.

Vinay alias Sunny Singh (26) was the first to stop and climbed into the ditch to help him. Soon, several locals joined in. Among them were Hasan Mohammad (40), his sons Tabrez (20) and Parvez (18), and his brother Imtiyaz Ali (27). Another group — Gulshan (25), his 10-year-old nephew Anshuman, and neighbour Altaf (32) — also rushed to assist.

Witnesses said the group had lifted Tiwari and were crossing the road to move him to safety when a Delhi-registered SUV, allegedly speeding, lost control near Santosh Dhaba and rammed into them.

“The impact was severe. Some victims were flung 10–12 feet into the air, while others were dragged for several metres,” an eyewitness said. The vehicle crossed the divider before coming to a halt.

All nine people present, including Tiwari, were injured and rushed to Karnailganj CHC before being referred to Gonda Medical College.

Doctors declared Hasan Mohammad, Imtiyaz Ali, Gulshan and Sanjay Tiwari dead. Anshuman died while being taken to Lucknow, taking the toll to five. Hasan and Imtiyaz were brothers, while Gulshan and Anshuman were an uncle-nephew duo.

Altaf is undergoing treatment at a trauma centre in Lucknow, while Tabrez, Parvez and Vinay were discharged after primary treatment.

Locals caught the SUV driver, identified as Abid, and the vehicle owner Shoaib, who was allegedly travelling in the car. Both were thrashed before being handed over to police. The vehicle has been seized and a case registered.

Meanwhile, Anshuman’s father, Deshraj, alleged negligence by a private ambulance service, claiming it abandoned them midway after the child died during transit to Lucknow.

District magistrate Priyanka Niranjan visited the hospital and ordered an inquiry. “A detailed investigation is underway. Strict action will be taken against those responsible,” she said.

Postmortems were conducted overnight, and the bodies were handed over to families on Thursday morning.

The incident has triggered outrage, with locals demanding strict enforcement against reckless driving and improved highway safety measures.