Eight workers were killed and 13 others were injured when a speeding car ran them over on the Lehragaga-Jakhal road in Punjab's Sangrur district. The police confirmed the deaths and injuries. The workers were part of a group of around 25 people, several of them women, who were engaged in work under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin schemes.
The accident happened near Alisher village. Some of the workers were sitting along the road when the car, coming from the Jakhal side, mowed down the group. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the spot.
Sangrur Accident: What Police Said About the Lehragaga-Jakhal Road Crash
Superintendent of Police Palwinder Cheema gave the details of the incident. He said the car came from the Jakhal side and ran over the workers. The driver left the vehicle behind and ran away from the scene.
An eyewitness described what happened. According to the eyewitness, the incident took place at around 5.3 — the account of the exact time was cut off in the report. The workers had gathered for their daily work when the vehicle hit them.
The group was enrolled under two government-backed rural livelihood and employment schemes. These workers were on the road as part of their daily work when the speeding car struck them.
Driver Flees After Mowing Down Workers in Punjab
The driver's decision to abandon the car and flee is a central part of this case. Police have identified the vehicle, but the person behind the wheel is still at large. Finding and arresting the driver is now the key task for the investigation.
- Eight workers died on the spot or from their injuries after the car ran over the group
- Thirteen workers were injured and need medical care
- The group had around 25 workers, several of them women
- The car came from the Jakhal side on the Lehragaga-Jakhal road
- The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene
Our Take: Speeding Cars Keep Killing Workers on Punjab's Roads
In our view, this is a tragedy that should not have happened. A group of workers, mostly poor people earning their daily wage under rural employment schemes, were sitting along a road when a speeding car ended eight lives. The fact that the driver fled instead of staying to help makes it worse.
To put it plainly, the families of these workers have lost their breadwinners. The injured now face medical bills and lost wages. The government schemes that were meant to give them work have instead left them exposed to danger on the road.
What readers should take from this: road safety on highways like the Lehragaga-Jakhal road needs serious attention. Workers who sit or work along busy roads need protection, warning signs, and safer work conditions. And the driver who fled must be caught quickly so that the families get justice. Until then, this accident is a warning that speeding vehicles on rural highways remain a deadly threat to the poorest workers.
The police have the car. They now need the driver. That is the minimum this case demands.
