Vadodara car crash accused Rakshit Chaurasia blames pothole, denies drunk driving

NEW DELHI: 23-year-old law student, Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia, accused of killing one woman and injuring eight others with a speeding car in Vadodara, has denied being under the influence of alcohol during the accident. He claimed that the incident occurred after the airbags in his car deployed suddenly, hampering his vision.
Chaurasia said he wants to meet the family of the victims and will respect whatever they want to happen.
“We were going ahead of the scooty, we were turning right and there was a pothole on the road. There was a scooty and a car while we were turning right... The car slightly touched the other vehicle and the airbag opened suddenly, our vision was hampered and the car went out of control. We were going at 50 km/hour,” Chaurasia said.

“There were no people at that time, just a scooter and a car. I had no idea. I did not do any party, I went for Holika Dahan and was not drunk... Today, I was told that one woman has died and a few have sustained injuries. I want to meet the family of the victims, it is my fault and whatever they want that should happen,” he added.
This comes a day after a speeding car driven by a 20-year-old law student crashed into two-wheelers in Vadodara city in the early hours of Friday.
The accident occurred around 12:30 a.m. near Muktanand Cross Roads in the Karelibaug area. Following the crash, the driver, Chaurasia, was arrested, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya.
Near Amrapali Complex, Chaurasia first hit a woman on a two-wheeler before knocking down two other bikers. The impact was so severe that the car’s airbags deployed.
When the vehicle finally came to a halt, Chauhan, who had been with Chaurasia, stepped out and walked away, repeatedly saying, "I didn’t do anything. He was driving the car," while pointing at Chaurasia. Chaurasia, a fourth-year law student at M.S. University, then stepped out of the car and began shouting "another round," "uncle," and "Om Namah Shivay" at the top of his voice.

Passersby chased him down, preventing his escape. Some angry locals thrashed him before the police arrived.
CCTV footage captured the entire incident. The injured, including a child, have been hospitalized. Senior police officials confirmed that Chaurasia has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Chauhan's blood samples have also been taken. If found intoxicated, he will be booked under the Prohibition Act.
“The deceased woman has been identified as Hemali Patel. Her husband, Purav Patel, who was riding with her, is in critical condition,” said Panna Momaya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
Police suspect that Chaurasia’s shouts of ‘another round’ indicated his intention to continue reckless driving and harm more people. Chaurasia, originally from Uttar Pradesh, resides in a rented accommodation in Nizampura, Vadodara. He told the media that he wasn't intoxicated while driving and claimed that the car hit a two-wheeler, after which the airbags deployed, and he couldn’t see what happened.