Tragic accident at toll plaza as car rams into pickup, 3 dead including principal mother and son

March 10, 2026

An Ertiga car rammed into a parked pickup truck at the Chaulang toll plaza on the Jalandhar-Pathankot National Highway. The riders included the principal mother and son, and the pickup driver was killed, while the pickup cleaner was seriously injured.

The accident occurred around 9 p.m. on Monday night. Following the accident, toll plaza workers pulled the injured out of their vehicles. The deceased included Dr. Shabnam Saini, principal of KMS College in Dasuya, her 18-year-old son Tushant, and the pickup driver, Rahul alias Mittu, also a resident of Gurdaspur.

According to reports, Principal Dr. Shabnam had gone to Jalandhar with her son Tushant to visit her daughter, who had come from the United States. She was returning home that evening when the accident occurred. A police team has arrived at the scene and has begun investigating.

The pickup was invisible due to its lights not being on.

According to people present at the scene, the car’s parking lights were not on, despite it being night. The Ertiga car, coming from behind, struck the vehicle with great force. The mother and son in the Ertiga and the pickup driver were killed, while the pickup’s cleaner was injured. The impact was so severe that the Bolero pickup overturned, and the Ertiga’s front portion was shattered.

William, the pickup’s injured cleaner, said he was returning from Jalandhar after unloading the vehicle. He stopped briefly at the toll plaza. Suddenly, a vehicle struck him from behind. The impact was so severe that the vehicle overturned, and the driver, Rahul, died on the spot.

Police are investigating the incident

Aman, a toll plaza employee, said he heard a loud crash. When he looked around, he realized the accident had already occurred. He and his colleagues immediately rushed to the scene and tried to rescue the injured. SHO Gurinderjit Singh Nagra said they received information about the accident around 9 p.m. When they arrived, three people were already dead. They are currently investigating the matter.