Vadodara experienced a grim incident on Friday when a man was killed after his car caught fire following an accident on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The tragic event occurred near Padra, leaving the vehicle entirely engulfed in flames.
According to police reports, the driver, identified as Sameer Panchal from Khanpur in Lunawada, was traveling from Halol to Surat at the time of the accident. Authorities say he died instantly due to severe burns after being trapped inside his CNG-powered vehicle.
Emergency teams from the Vasna Fire Station and local police rushed to the scene shortly after receiving alerts about the blaze. Firefighters battled to control the fire and eventually recovered Panchal’s charred body from within the wreckage. The remains have been sent for a post-mortem examination.
The incident seems to have begun when Panchal’s car collided with a W-beam highway barrier. Preliminary investigations indicate that while there were scrape marks on one side of the car confirming contact with the barrier, there was no explosion involving the vehicle’s CNG cylinder; it remained intact despite being completely burned.
Padra police inspector P.V. Gohil pointed out that one tyre had burst, suggesting high-speed impact before flames erupted. Investigators are working alongside Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams who are collecting evidence to pinpoint what caused this devastating fire.
Panchal’s family is expected to receive his body once formalities are completed post-examination.