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On April 9, 2025, fresh eyewitness testimony resurfaced from September’s fatal Dwarka Expressway crash, where a 20‑year‑old Delhi University student’s Chevrolet Beat ploughed into four labourers, killing two instantly. The incident has reignited debate over highway safety practices in India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure.
According to the Gurugram police, the accident occurred early Thursday when the workers were securing iron grilles on the median divider near Shri Ram Chowk. Two victims – Bijendra and Pappu, both from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh – were tightening screws while two others held the grille in place. Moments later, the speeding hatchback, driven by Vedan Khanna, a DU student, lost control coming from the Delhi direction and slammed directly into them.
The two surviving labourers, Satish Chand and Ram Kumar, leaped toward the grassy median to avoid the car. The vehicle then crashed into a wall, seriously injuring Khanna himself. Local residents alerted police, who rushed all injured to a nearby hospital. The deceased’s bodies were sent for autopsy, and families have been contacted.
A senior officer at Bajghera police station confirmed the car has been impounded and an investigation is underway. “Action will be taken as per the law,” he stated, without specifying whether charges such as negligent driving or culpable homicide have been filed.
Safety gaps exposed
Eyewitnesses told reporters that despite the high‑speed nature of the expressway, the construction site lacked reflective warning signs, proper barricades, or any traffic control measures. “No cones, no flashing lights, nothing. It’s a miracle more weren’t killed,” one witness said.
This mirrors recurring safety failures flagged by the World Health Organization’s 2023 global road safety report, which noted that India accounts for nearly 11% of global road traffic deaths despite having only 1% of the world’s vehicles. Construction zones – especially on high‑speed expressways – are disproportionately deadly due to inadequate temporary traffic management.
Expert context for US readers
US traffic safety experts point out that similar tragedies in American highway work zones have driven strict federal guidelines under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). In contrast, India’s National Highway Authority (NHAI) guidelines are often poorly enforced. “A work zone without advance warning signs, speed reduction signage, and concrete barriers is a death trap,” says Dr. Rajesh Menon, a transportation safety researcher formerly with MIT.
The Dwarka Expressway, a 19‑km eight‑lane artery connecting Delhi to Gurugram, is notorious for speeding vehicles and frequent accidents. Since its partial opening in 2021, at least 15 fatalities have been recorded, according
