Indian student from Punjab dies in Australia car crash

Melbourne, Jan 16

A 21 year-old student, who had moved to Australia eight months back from Punjab's Ferozepur, died on the spot after his car collided with a truck in Canberra, a media report said.

Kunal Chopra was returning from work when his Hyundai Getz collided head-on with a concrete pumping truck on William Hovell Drive last week, SBS Punjabi, a multicultural and multilingual broadcaster in Australia, reported.

The Australian Capital Territory Ambulance Service paramedics declared Chopra dead on the scene.

The driver of the concrete pumping truck was taken to a hospital for mandatory drug and alcohol testing, according to the report.

William Hovell Drive was closed for several hours after the crash.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Hyundai crossed to the wrong side of the road into the path of the city-bound truck.

Acting Inspector for Road Policing Travis Mills told SBS that the major collisions team was continuing to investigate the incident and will prepare a report.

Chopra was living with his cousin Honey Malhotra in Canberra.

"We are heartbroken, and his family back home is shattered and inconsolable," Malhotra told SBS Punjabi, adding that they are making arrangements to send Chopra's mortal remains to his family back in India.

--IANS