Video: Woman clings to moving car bonnet after confrontation

A woman was struck by a car and carried along on its bonnet after confronting a man she knew near a popular park in northern India, with video of the frightening incident rapidly spreading online.

The incident happened near Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday.

Footage shows the woman clinging to the front of a white car as it continues moving.

Barefoot and sprawled across the bonnet, she can be seen shouting and repeatedly striking the vehicle with her hands as she apparently tries to get the driver to stop.

Police have identified the driver as Shahnawaz Ali and later arrested him, according to Indian media reports.

What happened?

According to preliminary information provided by police, the woman and Shahnawaz knew each other and had previously been in a relationship.

The woman reportedly encountered him near the park while he was with other people, including another woman.

An argument followed.

When Shahnawaz attempted to leave in the car, the woman tried to stop the vehicle by standing in front of it, according to police accounts cited by local media.

She alleges that rather than stopping, he accelerated and struck her.

The impact left her on the bonnet as the car continued moving.

Video recorded by witnesses shows her desperately holding on while shouting at the driver.

People nearby can also be heard reacting to the incident.

Car allegedly driven towards her again

Reports differ over some of the precise events immediately after the woman fell from the bonnet.

The Week reported that the car was subsequently driven towards her again, causing witnesses to fear the driver was attempting to hit her a second time.

Other reports confirm that she fell from the vehicle and was injured but do not independently establish that the subsequent movement was a deliberate second attempt to strike her.

Police are examining the video and other evidence as part of their investigation.

The woman was taken for a medical examination following the incident.

Driver arrested

Police initially used the car’s registration details to identify and trace the driver.

Later reports said Shahnawaz had been arrested and was being questioned.

Police have also received a complaint from the woman and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.

The incident comes amid heightened attention in India to another viral case in Gurugram, where a woman motorcyclist was struck by a car following an alleged road-rage confrontation.

In the Lucknow case, however, investigators say the people involved already knew each other and that a personal dispute preceded the incident.

The footage has rapidly circulated on social media, showing the woman hanging onto the bonnet while the vehicle continues along the road.

Police said further legal action would follow based on the complaint and their investigation.