Ahmedabad: The Nov 3 Fortuner crash in Nikol claimed yet another victim. Snehal Vasoya, who was shopping for sofa covers with her husband Kartik when the SUV mounted the footpath, succumbed to injuries on Wednesday. Snehal, the mother of four-year-old twins, had suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Civil Hospital with Kartik, who had been thrown aside from the car’s impact. Both had lost consciousness after being hit. Kartik was discharged later.Poonam Nagwadiya (30) and her son Sagar (15) — who were selling the covers on the footpath near Akshar Hospital and Devsya School — were the other two victims of the accident, allegedly caused by the SUV’s driver, Viral Chaudhary (36).Police said Chaudhary runs a unit manufacturing equipment for steel plants in Nana Chiloda. His friend Sagar Chaudhary was in the car when the accident occurred.Kartik, who is also the complainant in the case, was discharged from hospital. He works in the administration department of DPS School in Hathijan.The role of the friend, who is absconding, is being investigated. Police are likely to record his statement as a key eyewitness as he was in the car and can narrate the sequence of events leading to the crash and confirm who was behind the wheel.Whether to make him an eyewitness or an accused will be decided after his arrest. A separate case under the Prohibition Act may also be registered against him, inspector Salma Sumra of I Division traffic police said.Driver sipped beer while steering FortunerThe probe so far has revealed that Viral and friend Sagar allegedly had beer at the latter’s residence before heading out for dinner in the Fortuner. On the way, Viral felt he hadn’t drunk enough, and picked up a beer can from the stock in the vehicle, police said. He steered the car with one hand while holding the beer in the other. He lost control and mounted the SUV on the footpath, crushing Poonam, her son, Snehal and Kartik. Sagar allegedly got out of the vehicle and fled amid the commotion, while Viral was caught by locals and handed over to cops.
