Aussie dies in India doing what he loved most :(

An Aussie, Ridley Mathew Anthony along with his friends Benett Kowald and Ian Borg had arrived in India three days ago, and were on their way to Agra – home of the Taj Mahal - on Thursday (21^st December) at around 8 AM, travelling through the Yamuna Expressway and riding individually on Royal Enfield motorbikes, when a horrific tragedy struck them.

Due to dense fog and low visibility that envelopes the area during the winter season, a speeding Uttar Pradesh State Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus rammed into an oncoming truck, lost balance and then struck Anthony’s bike, and minutes later, another school bus rammed into the UPSRTC bus from behind.  Anthony’s friends remained unhurt as they were following behind his bike.

Anthony had sustained severe injuries to his chest and stomach, and along with the other injured people was rushed to the hospital in Noida, where doctors declared Anthony as brought dead. At least four people including the bus driver, conductor, commuter and a schoolgirl have been reported to sustain injuries. Anthony’s body has been sent for post-mortem to be conducted on Friday. Police have registered an FIR (First information report) against the driver of the UPSRTC bus under the Indian penal code (IPC) sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death due to negligence).  The driver is presently undergoing treatment in a private hospital.

Within a span of 4 days after Anthony's accident, another car with four occupants overturned after losing control on the expressway on Monday. The car was traveling with four occupants, which included three Ukrainian nationals and the driver. The driver died on the spot, while one Ukrainian national died on the way to the hospital. The other two occupants suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

These are not the only instances where such accidents have happened in the same expressway. Yamuna Expressway has a length of 205 kilometers and is India’s longest six-lane, controlled-access expressway stretches. Given the long and well-maintained stretch of road, drivers tend to over speed, and this has given rise to multiple collisions and deaths in the past as well, especially during the winter months when visibility is extremely poor due to fog.

In December itself, Anthony’s accidental death was the second such case. Earlier in the month, five people including an Italian sustained injury after their cars collided. Earlier in the month of November, 13 vehicles collided against each other and piled up on the expressway, with six people being reported as injured in the collision.

On Friday, the day after the accident, Anthony’s sister, Tara Ridley, posted a message in social media conveying the tragic news to her family and friends "He died in a tragic, freak accident in Delhi, India doing what he loved – riding motorbikes and travelling," and ending the post with “Matt, we always have and will always love you with all our hearts”. Anthony and his friends were all from Sydney, and the Australian department of foreign affairs said that it is providing consular assistance to the family of the deceased.