Car Drives Wrong Way for 6 km on Delhi–Meerut Expressway, Major Accident Averted in Ghaziabad

A major accident was narrowly avoided on the Delhi–Meerut Expressway (DME) after a car was driven on the wrong side for nearly six kilometres at high speed. The incident took place on the morning of January 19 and a video of the reckless driving has since gone viral on social media.

According to traffic police officials, the car was moving in the opposite direction on the Delhi-to-Meerut carriageway, posing a serious threat to commuters. Traffic Inspector Ajay Yadav, who was on patrol duty, noticed the vehicle and immediately began chasing it using an official vehicle.

Due to the car’s high speed, stopping it mid-way was difficult. Inspector Yadav coordinated with traffic police personnel deployed at the UP Gate exit point. The car was finally intercepted and stopped at the Indirapuram/UP Gate exit.

The driver was identified as Lucky Patel, a resident of Noida Sector 62. During questioning, he admitted that while travelling from Delhi to Noida, he mistakenly entered the Delhi–Meerut Expressway. After reaching Vijay Nagar, he realised that he would have to go as far as Dasna to take a U-turn. In an attempt to avoid the long detour, he turned his car around and began driving in the wrong direction on the expressway.

The car, registered in the name of his sister Jyoti Patel, was seized by the traffic police. A challan of ₹7,000 was issued against the driver for dangerous and negligent driving.

ACP (Traffic) Ziauddin stated that such incidents have been reported earlier as well and strict action is being taken to prevent reckless driving on high-speed corridors. The driver was also sternly warned not to endanger his life and that of others in the future.

Videos circulating online show the car speeding on the wrong side while vehicles on the correct lane were also moving at high speed. Officials said that a head-on collision could have resulted in a catastrophic accident.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised over the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s monitoring claims. Despite the car travelling on the wrong side for several kilometres, no alert was reportedly issued from the NHAI control room. NHAI Project Director Arvind Kumar said the matter would be reviewed to determine why coordination failed in this case.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and a potentially fatal accident was averted.