The cyclist Aseem Malhotra was taken to Paras hospital and had to undergo an emergency surgery.
An illustration of a cyclist - representative pic
Aseem Malhotra, a 55-year-old cyclist was hit by a truck near Kachra Chowk on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road on early Saturday morning.
Malhotra, a resident of DLF Silver Oaks and a financial consultant, was on his way to Faridabad on an early morning ride, when the truck hit him from behind. He reportedly suffered major injuries including a broken tail bone and a cut artery.
Latika Thukral, a Gurugram-based activist and an avid cyclist, said that Malhotra was taken to Paras Hospital and had to undergo an emergency surgery. She said that Malhotra’s cousin was attending to him.
The accident took place at 6.30 AM, said sub-inspector Bijender Singh of DLF Phase-1 police station
"The canter truck has been seized but the driver is on the run. A case will be registered once the victim gains consciousness," added Singh.
Manas Fuloria, an IT professional and city-based activist, said that measures should be taken to check speeding on major roads, and enforcement should be stricter to prevent such accidents. “Cyclists and pedestrians are the worst affected.There is a need to segregate traffic,” he said.
Following the incident, the city’s cyclist community has raised concerns about safety on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road, which is usually abuzz with cyclists and runners on weekends.
“Today’s incident, in which our cyclist friend Aseem was badly injured, has totally pulverised my spirits. My friends and I are training for various ironman distances that involve 90 km of cycling for ironman 70.3 (half) and 180 km of cycling for the ironman (full distance). But after today’s incident, we are not sure whether we should train outside at all. In fact, our ironman program is now in jeopardy. Our families have also learnt about this accident and will not allow us to venture outside with our bicycles,” said Vinod Tayal, a resident of DLF Phase 2 and a cycling enthusiast.
