4 kids among 5 killed as truck on wrong side rams bike in UP

MEERUT: Five members of a family, including four children aged between 5 and 8, died after a truck moving on the wrong side of NH-334 to dodge toll payment rammed their motorcycle in Hapur's Hafizpur area, police said on Thursday.

Danish Khan, 36, a resident of Mohalla Rafiqnagar in Hapur, was returning after a swim with his daughters, Mahira, 8, and Samaira, 5, and his brother's children, Samar, 8, and Mahim, 8, when the truck struck them around 10pm on Wednesday. All five died in hospital. Danish's wife, Reshma, and two other children from the extended family, riding on another motorcycle, narrowly escaped.

Police said the driver had entered the wrong lane from a road cut to avoid paying highway toll. ASP Vineet Bhatnagar said, "Police seized the truck and sent the bodies for postmortem examination. An FIR has been registered under BNS sections 281 (rash driving or driving on a public way) and 106(1) (causing death due to negligence). Efforts are on to arrest the driver who fled."

A video showing Danish dancing with Reshma at the pool just hours before the crash was widely circulated online. Reshma's father, Sirajuddin, said she had found peace with Danish after a troubled first marriage.