Patna (The Hawk): Two liquor smugglers perished on Wednesday morning in the Dharmawati river in the Rohtas district of Bihar after mistaking an ambulance's siren for police pursuing them.
One of the defendants passed away immediately, while the other passed away in a Varanasi hospital.
The two smugglers were riding a bike on the Sasaram-Chausa route when they were apprehended. They were from the UP district of Chandauli. An ambulance arrived to the village of Mahant Bhagiratha from behind.
"The bikers accelerated because they believed it to be a police van. They panicked and leaped into the Dharmawati river after reaching the bridge since the ambulance was approaching at a high rate of speed and had the siren on, according to a police officer from Kochas.
One of the bikers perished there and then, while another was saved and transported to a hospital in Varanasi for treatment. Due to the wounds, he also died. The victim disclosed in a statement before passing away that they were hauling liquor bottles when they heard a siren and panicked, thinking it was a police car.
He added that because of the fog's reduced vision, they were unable to determine whether the vehicle approaching from behind was an ambulance or a police van.
(Inputs from Agencies)