Ex-army man from Haryana killed after being hit by truck in Delhi   

A 47-year-old retired army man from Haryana died after being hit by a truck on the Salimgarh Flyover in central Delhi, police said on Thursday.

Mahender Pal from Palwal was the sole bread-earner of his family and is survived by his 41-year-old wife and two sons.

The incident took place around 2 am on July 15. Pal was travelling with his son and other family members to Palwal when their car’s tyre got punctured near the Salimgarh Flyover, they said.

“He stepped out to check the tyre when a speeding truck struck him and fled the scene,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan, citing the statement of Pal’s son.

Pal’s elder son Harkesh Kumar (20), a second-year B Tech student at Chandigarh University, told PTI that he was in the car when his father stepped out to check a tyre puncture while they were returning home to Palwal from Chandigarh.

“My father had come to meet my principal at Chandigarh University, and we were on our way back. He was an employee with the Haryana government and the sole breadwinner of our family,” he said.

Harkesh has a younger brother who is in Class 12, while their mother is a homemaker.

“My father also supported my uncle’s family, as he passed away 10 years ago. Now, with him gone, our future feels completely uncertain. I may have to quit my studies and take up his job,” Harkesh said as his voice choked with emotion.

He added that his father’s sudden death has left the entire family shattered.

“He carried the responsibility of two families on his shoulders. We don’t know how we’ll manage without him,” Harkesh said.

Pal was rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he was declared dead. The body has been handed over to the family and his last rites have been carried out in Palwal.

An FIR has been registered under sections 281 (rash driving endangering human life) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at IP Estate police station, the officer said.

Efforts are under way to identify the offending vehicle through CCTV footage and other technical means, police said.

Delhi