UMARIA (MADHYA PRADESH): In a heart-wrenching incident on National Highway 43 (NH-43), five members of a family—including three women and a three-year-old child—lost their lives when their speeding Maruti Ertiga rammed violently into a stationary truck. The accident occurred near the Siddh Baba temple in Bharola village under the Kotwali police station limits during the early hours of Thursday, July 9, 2026.

The victims, all residents of Lila village in Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur district, were reportedly traveling toward Chitrakoot when the tragedy struck.

According to local police authorities, the collision took place between 3:00 AM and 4:00 AM. The impact of the crash was so catastrophic that the front half of the Ertiga was completely crushed beneath the rear of the parked truck, trapping the passengers inside.

Local commuters and a night patrol team quickly alerted emergency services. Personnel from the Kotwali police station and 108 Ambulance teams rushed to the site. Rescuers faced severe difficulties extracting the victims from the mangled wreckage.

Four victims died on impact, while a fifth succumbed to injuries shortly after reaching the district hospital. The deceased have been identified as 37-year-old Kulpat Singh, 32-year-old Savita Singh, 24-year-old Priyanka Singh, 22-year-old Khushbu Marko, and three-year-old Rudra Pratap.

One female passenger survived the initial impact but sustained critical, life-threatening injuries. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. V.K. Chandel confirmed that emergency medical teams administered CPR and stabilized her condition before referring her to a specialized facility in Jabalpur for advanced treatment.

Initial reports suggest the driver of the vehicle managed to escape the scene immediately following the crash.

Speaking on the incident, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alok Sharma stated that the family was traveling for personal work when their vehicle struck the truck parked on the shoulder of the highway. A case has been registered, and a police investigation is underway to determine whether low visibility, speed, or driver fatigue led to the crash. Authorities are actively searching for the absconding driver.

The tragic incident has once again cast a harsh light on the persistent danger of unlit, stationary heavy vehicles parked illegally along major Indian highways, which continue to claim innocent lives during night and early morning hours.