Four passengers were killed and four others injured after a sleeper bus driver allegedly dozed off while driving at nearly 100 kmph, causing the bus to ram into a trailer truck on the Gorakhpur Link Expressway in Ambedkar Nagar early Friday, police said.
The bus had accumulated 44 challans in six months, amounting to Rs 2.44 lakh in outstanding dues, according to transport department records. The bus received its first challan in Lucknow in March 2026, following which 43 more challans were issued for violations including unauthorised modifications, parking violations, driving on the wrong side and failure to wear seat belts, according to transport department records. The bus driver, identified as Anshu , was taken into custody for questioning, although police had not officially confirmed the detention.
Officials said the bus’s registration, insurance, pollution certificate and fitness documents were valid at the time of the accident. SP Ambedkarnagar Prachi Singh said that Jaitpur police registered an FIR in connection with the accident under provisions relating to negligent driving and culpable homicide, among other charges, and the bus driver, Anshu, was arrested. Lucknow : The ill-fated sleeper bus that crashed in Ambedkarnagar, killing four passengers, had a history of repeated traffic violations. RTO Ayodhya Sanjay Kumar Jha, ARTO Satendra Yadav and traffic sub-inspector JB Yadav inspected the accident site and the vehicles. The incident has also raised questions over the use of sleeper buses for transporting commercial goods. officials found a challan inside the vehicle that reportedly mentioned pumping-related equipment being transported from Delhi to Patna Although such buses are primarily permitted to carry passengers. Jaitpur police registered an FIR in connection with the accident under provisions relating to negligent driving and culpable homicide, among other charges.