Amethi: In a devastating early-morning crash on Sunday, June 15, an ambulance transporting a dead body from Haryana to Bihar ploughed into a stationary pick-up vehicle on the Purvanchal Expressway near Shukul Bazar, Amethi district. The collision claimed the lives of five individuals and left one critically injured.
The ill-fated ambulance was carrying the body of Ashok Kumar Sharma, a construction worker from Rambhadrapur, Samastipur district, who had earlier died in a road accident in Gurgaon. Onboard were two drivers—Sarfaraz and Abid—and four family members including Sharma’s son, Rajkumar (also known as Satish), Ravi Sharma, and Phoolo Sharma .
Approximately at 5:30 am, the ambulance, allegedly speeding at around 120 km/h, rammed into a jeep parked at a roadside puncture repair shop . The impact was fatal; all five inside the ambulance were declared dead at the scene. The critically injured passenger, identified as Shambhu Rai of Samastipur, was rushed to the district hospital.
Police and district officials have launched an inquiry, with early indications pointing to excessive speed and possible driver fatigue as contributing factors . The bodies have been sent for postmortem, and a toll-free helpline has been established for assistance to bereaved families .
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deep condolences and directed authorities to provide immediate medical treatment and support to the injured and affected families .
The tragic incident once again highlights grave concerns about the safety of medical transport on expressways and the urgent need for stricter regulations governing speed and vehicle conditions.
