Motorcycle crashes into unmarked jersey barrier in Delhi; three die

New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) Three men, including two cousins, were killed after their motorcycle rammed into an unmarked jersey barrier on the Libaspur flyover on the GT Road while they were returning from Haryana's Murthal after dinner, an official said on Wednesday.

Police said they received information about the accident in Outer North Delhi at around 1.33 AM. A team rushed to the spot and found three men lying unconscious near a damaged Royal Enfield motorcycle.

The deceased were identified as Sumit (27), Mohit (26) and Anurag (23), who is Mohit's cousin. All are residents of Nangloi.

"All three died on the spot. Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were returning from Haryana's Murthal after dinner when their speeding motorcycle hit a concrete jersey barrier placed on the flyover. None of the three was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said in a statement.

The officer said that a case has been registered under sections 281 (rash driving) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the absence of reflectors or warning signs on the jersey barrier contributed to the crash.

"Efforts were also made to trace eyewitnesses, but none were found. We are also looking into the CCTV footage of the entire incident to understand the sequence of the events," said the DCP.

Another officer, privy to the investigation, said that the barriers were placed on the road due to some repair work, and the police will also check if the rider and the pillion passengers were drunk.

The crash has drawn attention to jersey barriers -- short, movable concrete walls meant to divide or redirect traffic -- becoming death traps in many incidents in the past due to poor maintenance and random placement.

A police officer who requested anonymity said, "These concrete blocks can be found jutting out suddenly on busy stretches, often without reflector tapes, hazard markers or even proper lighting. During foggy conditions, when visibility dips below 50 metres, they turn virtually invisible, leading to fatal collisions." The officer said that the traffic police try to maintain these Jersey barriers. But many commuters move them aside to cross the road, but they never put these barriers back.

"Such barriers without reflective markings that are not properly placed can easily go unnoticed by motorists, especially at night or during fog. They should be installed only after proper assessment and clearly marked for visibility," said the police officer.

Meanwhile, another senior officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said that they have begun taping reflectors on barriers and that the process is time-consuming. PTI SSJ BM RT