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Vadodara Car Crash: Injured Man Says Accused Was Speeding for Enjoyment
A deadly car crash in Vadodara, Gujarat, has left a woman dead and eight reeling, with one survivor claiming the accused—a 23-year-old law student—was gunning it “for enjoyment.” The late-night smash-up on March 13, 2025, has sparked fury, reignited road safety debates, and put India’s traffic woes back in the spotlight. Here’s the rundown on the chaos, the survivor’s tale, and what’s brewing next.
What Went Down?
Around 12:30 AM near Muktanand Circle in Karelibaug, Rakshit Chaurasia’s Volkswagen Virtus tore through the night, slamming into three two-wheelers. Hemali Patel, out buying Holi colors, died on the spot; her husband’s fighting for life.
- The Toll: Eight hurt—three critical, including kids aged 10 and 12—after the car flipped lives upside down.
- Survivor’s Claim: Vikas Kewalani, nursing a busted elbow, says Chaurasia was flooring it for thrills, ignoring pleas to ease off.
- Cops Move: Chaurasia’s in custody, charged with culpable homicide; his buddy Pranshu Chauhan, the car’s owner, got nabbed Sunday after bolting from the scene.
#WATCH | One woman has died, and four others are injured after an overspeeding four-wheeler rammed into a two-wheeler on 14th March
Gujarat: Vikas Kewalani, Vadodara Car accident victim, says, " Two people from my society and I had gone out for refreshment. One of them was… pic.twitter.com/8HRauOVq1L
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2025
The Injured Man’s Take
Kewalani, patched up at Zydus Hospital, didn’t hold back:
- Speed Junkie: “He was overspeeding for fun—didn’t care we were screaming to stop,” he told ANI, still shaken from seeing Patel’s scooter crumple.
- No Remorse: Chaurasia, he says, was all adrenaline, yelling “another round” post-crash like it was a game—eyewitnesses back that up.
- Plea for Action: “Fines won’t cut it—lock him up for life,” Kewalani demanded, pointing to his fractured crew and a dead friend.
Outrage and Response
This one’s hit a nerve:
- Police Line: Vadodara Commissioner Narasimha Komar’s promising a tight case—rapid tests show drugs in Chaurasia’s blood; full results are pending. Three ASIs got shuffled for letting him yap to the press mid-probe.
- Public Boil: X’s erupting—“Gujarat’s dry? Then why’s he smashed?”—with calls for justice trending under #VadodaraCrash.
- Official Heat: Congress is jabbing at Gujarat’s liquor ban, asking how Chaurasia got blitzed in a “dry” state—awkward for the BJP.
Road Safety Red Flags
This crash is India’s traffic nightmare in neon:
- Reckless Streak: Speeding’s a killer—over 1.5 lakh road deaths in 2023 (NCRB stats), and Gujarat’s no saint.
- Slap-on-Wrist Vibes: Laws exist, but enforcement’s a joke—Chaurasia walked free from a February drunk ruckus with an apology.
- Wake-Up Call: Advocates are yelling for campaigns—teach drivers this ain’t a video game.
What’s Moving?
The heat’s on:
- Patrol Boost: Cops are upping night sweeps in Vadodara—Karelibaug’s now a checkpoint hotspot.
- Awareness Push: Local NGOs are pitching road safety drives—think posters, not just platitudes.
- Law Talk: X posts demand fast-track courts—why wait years for a reckless driver to pay?
What’s Next?
Chaurasia’s remand stretched to Tuesday—cops are dissecting CCTV showing him forcing the wheel from Chauhan minutes before the crash (Mirror Now, March 17). Trial’s looming, and with public eyes glued, this could jolt India’s hit-and-run playbook—or fizzle out like too many before.
The Bottom Line
Vadodara’s crash is a gut-wrenching flag on reckless driving—Chaurasia’s alleged joyride snuffed out Hemali Patel and scarred a street. Kewalani’s words sting: this wasn’t fate, it was thrill-seeking gone lethal. As Gujarat fumes and cops dig, the hope’s for justice that sticks—and roads that don’t double as death traps.
