‘Once he saved a stranger, but…’: Family of youth killed in Delhi accident

Delhi accident: The family of a 26-year-old man who died in a road accident in northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar called him a good samaritan who once rushed an injured delivery agent to hospital, saying he might have survived if someone had stopped to help him.

The victim, Pratham Malik, died after his SUV rammed a tree when he and his friend Aditya (25) were returning from a wedding function early Tuesday, police said. Aditya remains critically injured.

Pratham’s uncle Praveen Malik told PTI that he (Pratham) made his last call to the PCR, after which he is believed to have lost consciousness due to severe head injuries.

Pratham, whose father died 23 years ago, helped run the family’s cosmetics business in Sadar Bazar with his elder brother.

Describing him as ‘helpful, charming and jolly’, Praveen said Pratham was deeply loved in the neighbourhood and among relatives.

“He had this habit of stopping to help people. Once, he saw a delivery boy injured on the road, bleeding and crying for help. Pratham immediately put him in his own car and drove him straight to the hospital. He was always ready to help someone in need,” he said.

The uncle said what pains the family the most is the belief that Pratham might have survived if someone had stopped to help him. “When he needed help, no one came,” he said.

“He was found lying 20 feet from the car in the middle of the road. For how long was he lying there? Did anyone even try to call police? His bracelet and wallet were missing. My boy, who spent his life helping others, got no help from anyone,” Praveen said.

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The uncle broke down while speaking about the impact of Pratham’s death on his mother. “His mother lost her husband when Pratham was an infant. She raised both boys on her own. Pratham was younger and he cared for her deeply.”

He added that the family remains hopeful for Aditya’s recovery.

“The friend who was with him was taken to the hospital by a divine soul — someone who did what we wish someone had done for our child. He is fighting for his life. We pray he survives,” the uncle said.

The police said they received a PCR call at 4.49 am about a serious accident in Ashok Vihar. An SUV was found severely damaged on the footpath. The team inspected the spot, but no eyewitnesses were found, they said.

Prima facie, the vehicle appears to have collided with a tree at a very high speed, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said.

A case under sections 281 (rash driving) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered, police said.