Patna, Nov 9 (IANS): Three people sustained serious injuries following a collision with a high-speed vehicle in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Saturday.

Enraged by the incident, locals gathered at the scene, apprehended the driver, and assaulted him.

Following the escalation, Dumaria Ghat police officers arrived to rescue the driver but met with stiff resistance from the crowd.

In an attempt to disperse the agitated villagers and protect themselves, police resorted to lathi charge (baton charge) and conducted aerial firing.

The crash occurred near Rampurwa village, where locals were protesting over frequent traffic accidents caused by speeding vehicles.

Initially, a Dial 112 emergency response team arrived at the scene but left upon witnessing the intense anger of the villagers.

The team alerted Dumriaghat police, who returned with Inspector Dharmendra Kumar to calm the situation.

However, the villagers attacked the police patrol vehicle, forcing its driver to flee.

Inspector Kumar, who remained surrounded by the mob, attempted to de-escalate the situation by firing warning shots in the air.

The police successfully rescued the detained vehicle driver and transported him to the police station.

In response to the assault on the patrol vehicle, Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to identify and apprehend those involved in the violence.

“The situation in the area has returned to normal, and two separate FIRs have been filed against the attackers and the driver,” he said.