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Dewas, Oct. 25: A speeding car careened off a rural road in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district and killed three people, including an 80-year-old man who was sitting outside his house, police said.
The accident happened near Dad village, under Udaynagar police station limits, around 11 a.m. The car was reportedly heading from Indore’s Race Course Road area to Udaynagar when it went out of control. Investigators found cooking utensils inside the vehicle, suggesting the occupants were on a picnic.
The driver, identified as Dharmendra Jain, was injured and admitted to a hospital. Police took him into custody after preliminary medical treatment and later registered an accidental death report to determine why the car ran off the road.
The deceased were named as 80-year-old Shankar, 40-year-old Manibai, and 45-year-old Jamunabai, all residents of the Devnaliya-Junapani area. According to police, the car first struck Manibai and Jamunabai as the two women stood by the roadside. It then continued moving and hit Shankar while he was seated in a chair outside his home.
One of the women died at the scene. The other two victims were taken to a hospital, where doctors later declared them dead. Their bodies were sent to Bagli Health Centre for post-mortem examinations and later handed over to their families, Additional Superintendent of Police H.S. Batham said.
The car came to a halt only after crashing into a tree. Along the way, it damaged three to four roadside poles. The force of the impact left the front of the vehicle heavily damaged, according to police.
An accidental death report has been filed, and officials said a detailed investigation is underway. Police are also conducting a mechanical inspection of the car and recording statements from witnesses. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether alcohol or an equipment failure played a role in the crash.
Sunday’s fatal crash has brought attention to a recurring safety problem in rural Madhya Pradesh. Many villages sit directly beside state highways and secondary roads, with little or no separation between vehicle traffic and pedestrians. Elderly residents frequently spend time outdoors near their homes, while women and children often walk along the same narrow carriageway that fast-moving vehicles use.
Global road-safety guidance warns that pedestrian survival rates drop sharply when vehicles travel above 50 km/h. The World Health Organization has repeatedly emphasized the need for speed management in populated areas. Experts say rural roads in India need more than just speed limits on paper; they require physical measures such as speed breakers, guardrails, proper footpaths, and clear warning signs at village entrances.
The investigation into the Dewas crash is expected to continue over the coming days, with officials focusing on the driver’s actions and the condition of the vehicle.
