A 23-year-old man, Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia, who allegedly crashed his car into multiple vehicles in Vadodara, Gujarat, killing a woman and injuring four others, claimed on Friday that he was not intoxicated at the time of the incident, which took place late Thursday night.
The accident occurred around 12:30 am near Muktanand Cross Roads in the Karelibaug area. Following the crash, Chaurasia was arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya confirmed.
Eyewitnesses at the scene, who apprehended Chaurasia, alleged that he appeared drunk and was repeatedly shouting, “Another round, another round,” after stepping out of the vehicle, the police said.
However, Chaurasia later told reporters that he was driving at approximately 50 kmph when he lost control due to potholes on the road.
“The car lost control due to the potholes on the road. The car was running at a speed of around 50 kmph. There was a scooty and a car. I was not drunk. I want to meet the family members of the deceased because it was my fault. Whatever they wish should happen,” he told reporters.
Expressing remorse, Chaurasia said that simply apologising was an “understatement” and that he wished to personally meet the victim’s family. “I did not do any party, I went for Holika Dahan and was not drunk,” he claimed.
Explaining how he lost control of the car, he added, “The car was automatic… when the airbags opened, I panicked and pressed the accelerator instead of brakes.”
#WATCH | Vadodara, Gujarat: One woman has died, and four others are injured after an overspeeding four-wheeler rammed into a two-wheeler (14/03).
— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2025
Accused Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia claims, " We were going ahead of the scooty, we were turning right and there was a pothole on the… pic.twitter.com/7UMundtDXH
When questioned about a girl’s name that he was heard shouting after stepping out of the vehicle, Chaurasia said he randomly called out a name “in a state of panic” and reiterated that he was not drunk.
Police searching for co-passenger Mit Chauhan
The deceased woman was identified as Hemali Patel, who was riding a scooter at the time of the accident. Chaurasia, originally from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is a law student living in a PG accommodation in Vadodara, Momaya said.
The vehicle belonged to his friend Mit Chauhan, who was seated in the co-driver’s seat when Chaurasia allegedly rammed into multiple two-wheelers at high speed while heading toward Muktanand Circle. Efforts are underway to track down Chauhan.
“The car belonged to his friend Mit Chauhan, who was sitting in the co-driver’s seat when Chaurasiya rammed the car into some two-wheelers at full speed while going towards Muktanand circle,” she said.
‘Another Round?’ — Rakshit Chaurasia’s shocking reaction caught on camera
Eyewitness video footage shows Chauhan stepping out of the damaged car and blaming Chaurasia for the crash, while Chaurasia—appearing incoherent—continues shouting, “Another round? Another round?” The video also captures bystanders attacking Chaurasia before handing him over to the police.
CCTV footage accessed by the media shows the speeding car colliding with two scooters, knocking down riders and dragging them before coming to a halt.
“Primarily, the car was overspeeding. This can also be a case of drunk driving. We will conduct his medical test to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol,” said DCP Momaya, adding that Chaurasia does possess a valid driving license.