‘Papa, please save me’: Techie’s final call after car plunges into deep ditch in Greater Noida

Dubai: A 27-year-old software engineer, Yuvraj Mehta, died in a tragic accident in Greater Noida after his car plunged into a deep, water-filled ditch late on Friday night.

Dense fog, poor visibility, and the absence of reflectors or proper barricading along the road are being cited as key factors in the fatal crash, according to reports by NDTV and Hindustan Times.

The incident occurred near Sector 150, where Mehta was returning home from work around midnight. According to police and witness accounts, thick fog combined with unmarked drainage boundaries made visibility extremely poor.

Mehta’s car struck a raised ridge separating two adjacent drainage basins, broke through a boundary wall, and plunged into a 70-foot-deep water-filled ditch, described by police as a waterlogged basement of an under-construction building.

Final call to his father

Trapped inside the rapidly submerging vehicle, Mehta managed to make a final call to his father, Rajkumar Mehta, moments after the crash.

“Dad, I’ve fallen into a deep pit filled with water. I’m drowning. Please come and save me. I don’t want to die,” Yuvraj told his father, according to NDTV.

His father rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the call.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Rajkumar Mehta said: “My son himself called me while he was trapped. He said, ‘Papa, I am stuck, the car has fallen into the drain.’”

Desperate pleas heard for nearly two hours

Witnesses said Mehta remained trapped inside the submerged vehicle for a prolonged period, crying out for help.

“For around one hour and forty-five minutes, he kept pleading, saying, ‘please save me, save me in any way possible,’” said an eyewitness, Moninder (single name), quoted by Hindustan Times.

Bystanders who heard his screams attempted to help but were unable to reach the vehicle because it was fully submerged and the water was extremely deep.

Delayed rescue efforts alleged

According to the victim’s family and friends, police reached the spot but lacked immediate rescue capability.

“The police did reach there, but they were unable to do much because they did not have a swimmer with them. If there had been a swimmer, someone could have reached him,” Mehta’s father told Hindustan Times.

Friends of the deceased alleged delays in the arrival of specialised rescue teams. “The rescue teams arrived only by 2.30am and could not even enter the water till 3.20am,” said Pankaj, a friend of the deceased.

Police later roped in teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force, and the fire department.

“The rescue operation took some time. We were at the spot till around 5am,” said Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, according to Hindustan Times.

Despite an intense multi-agency rescue operation, it took nearly five hours to retrieve the car and Mehta’s body from the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Negligence allegations and official response

Mehta’s family has filed a complaint accusing authorities of negligence, alleging that the absence of reflectors, warning signs, or covered drains along the service road contributed directly to the tragedy, especially given the dense fog conditions.

Sarvesh Kumar, in-charge of Knowledge Park Police Station, told NDTV that the matter is under investigation and that any negligence found would be met with appropriate legal action.

Police said Mehta was driving a Grand Vitara, lost control while taking a turn, and rammed into the drain boundary wall before the vehicle plunged into the water.

Aftermath

Following the incident, local authorities filled the hazardous ditch with tonnes of debris and garbage to prevent further accidents.

Mehta lived in a high-rise apartment in Sector 150 with his father and worked as a software engineer in Gurugram.