Paresh Doshi, a teacher in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha filed an FIR against himself on February 4 after he and his wife met with an accident caused due to the sudden appearance of a stray dog in front of their car, ultimately leading to his wife’s death.
The incident took place when Doshi and his wife Amita were on their way back from Ambaji temple when a stray dog ran in front of their car. Doshi swerved his car in order to save the canine, but ended up ramming the four wheeler into barricades, as per a report in The Times of India.
"My wife and I left our house early on Sunday and reached Ambaji temple around noon. However, the temple was closed. We waited till 1:30 pm, offered our prayers and left. I was driving towards Suka Amba village when a stray dog ran in front of our car. I swerved to avoid hitting the canine and lost control of the vehicle, which rammed sideways into makeshift pillars and barricades on the roadside,” the publication quoted him as saying to the police.
In the FIR, Doshi claimed that the accident took place solely due to his “negligence” while driving as he rammed into the barricade trying to save the dog.
One of the barricades pierced through the window pinning his wife to the seat who suffered “grievous” injuries.
“Due to the impact, the auto lock mechanism got engaged, trapping us inside,” added Doshi.
As the bystanders rushed to the spot, one of them broke the window of the car and helped the couple out. However, by the time they rushed to the hospital, Amita was declared dead. Doshi then filed an FIR against himself for causing death by rash driving and negligence.
Last year, the Gujarat High Court had noted that people in the state were unable to go for morning walks due to stray dogs and that it was the responsibility of the state’s civic bodies to curb the increasing cases of menace of street dogs.
Published 07 February 2024, 06:45 IST