Ghaziabad
A social media influencer suffered severe injuries when his car crashed into the median of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) and flipped on its back during a live video late Saturday night, in a suspected suicide attempt, police said. He was taken to a hospital in the vicinity and then shifted to another facility in Delhi, where his condition is stable, police said.
The influencer is a Dehradun resident and has nearly 7.5 million followers, police said.
“Around 10.20pm on Saturday, when the victim was heading towards Delhi from the Meerut side, his SUV crashed near Hawa Hawai Aeroplane Restaurant and went to the opposite Meerut lane,” said Ajay Kumar, station house officer, Masoori police station.
The SHO said, “The crash was so severe that his car was mangled and the wheels came off. We received information about the incident on the emergency helpline number 112 from his friends.”
Surendra Nath Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police, Ghaziabad (Rural), said, “By the time we came to know about the accident, his friends had already rushed him to a nearby hospital in Meerut.”
Police said one of his social media followers and friends, Ashish Chaudhary, from Mehrauli in Ghaziabad, was the first responder. Chaudhary told HT, “We were watching his live video on social media when he crashed his SUV at high speed. I am familiar with the DME. My friends and I rushed to the spot and rescued him from the mangled SUV. Locals also helped us at the spot.”
“As his SUV crashed on the other side of the expressway and there was no U-turn for Delhi and Ghaziabad, we rushed him to a hospital in Meerut,” he added.
Police said the influencer, who was later referred to another hospital in Delhi, was stable and his statement would be recorded after recovery. “We have informed his family members and the exact reason behind the incident would be ascertained after recording the victim’s and his family members’ statements,” DCP Tiwari said.
Multiple video clips of a live vlog went viral on social media platforms on Sunday, reportedly of the influencer being emotional and turning the steering sharply at a speed of around 150kmph, allegedly leading to the accident.
“Prima facie, it is suspected to be a case of suicide attempt. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause,” SHO Kumar said, adding that the SUV was removed from the expressway and no case has been registered.