Shimla: A tragic road accident claimed the life of a car driver in Himachal Pradesh’s Theog subdivision on Monday evening after his vehicle plunged nearly 200 metres into a deep gorge near Soval on the Devthi road.
The deceased has been identified as Rakesh, son of Ram Datt, a resident of Charel village in Theog. His death has cast a pall of gloom across the area.
According to police, the incident came to light after local resident Dalip Sharma informed authorities about the accident. He stated that around 7 pm, while at his home, he heard a loud crashing sound coming from the roadside. Suspecting an accident, he immediately rushed towards the spot.
On reaching the site, locals found a car bearing registration number HP09B-3418 lying deep inside the gorge. The vehicle had rolled down nearly 200 metres from the road.
Residents immediately launched a rescue operation and descended the steep slope to reach the vehicle. The driver was found unconscious on the driver’s seat and was later declared dead.
Police teams also reached the spot and, with the help of locals, retrieved the body from the gorge.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the vehicle went out of control before plunging into the gorge. However, the exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
The body has been sent for postmortem, while police have registered a case under Sections 281 and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Theog police station. Further investigation is being carried out by Chaila police outpost in-charge ASI Kamlesh Kumar.
