Car crash claims life of 20-year-old student came home from the US for a holiday

A 20-year-old US-based student, Yashvendra Singh, died after his car skidded off a rain-soaked road and overturned into an open drain near Nangal Dewat in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj on Friday, according to a Times of India report. A woman travelling with him survived after locals and police pulled her to safety, while Singh remained trapped in the driver’s seat and later died at Safdarjung Hospital.

Singh had returned to India just 10 days earlier and was looking forward to spending time with family. His relative said Singh was going to the gym with the friend. However, police said he and the co-passenger had stayed at a friend’s house the previous night and were heading to her residence when the accident occurred.

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Eyewitnesses describe desperate rescues

Pradeep, a local RWA president, said, “I came around 6am when two of his friends said, 'Please save our friend. He was stuck in the driving seat, and the seat belt would not open. He choked on the drain water. Police removed and rushed him to hospital, but he was dead by then."

"One person was trapped inside the car on the driver's seat and was not able to move. Along with the police personnel, we even tried to reach him, but due to the depth of the water-filled area, we were unable to reach him," he added. 

Family alleges civic negligence

Singh’s family has alleged systemic negligence and called for a thorough probe into the crash and the rescue response. “Authorities must examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly in light of repeated similar deaths linked to alleged civic negligence in the city,” a family friend said. His childhood friends also struggled to come to terms with the loss.

History and Family Background

Yashvendra Singh was a 20-year-old business student who had been studying in the United States at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business for more than two years. He had returned to Delhi about 10 days before the accident and had also completed his Class 12 education from Sanskriti School in 2024; he was a national-level basketball player and a gold medallist.

He came from a military family. His father is an Indian Army brigadier posted in Kolkata, while his parents were staying there because of his posting; Yashvendra was living in Delhi briefly with his maternal grandfather, who was undergoing cancer treatment. His family also said he planned to visit his paternal grandfather in Dehradun during the same break, and they come from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

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Road hazards under scrutiny

A separate TOI report said the Nangal Dewat stretch remained largely exposed, with broken barriers, potholes, and poor road shoulders adding to the danger. Residents said they had repeatedly complained about the open drain, and an earlier proposal to install speed breakers on Nangal Dewat Road had been found unfeasible by the traffic police, while Delhi Police have not yet registered an FIR and are conducting inquest proceedings.

The tragedy has renewed questions over road safety, drainage protection, and emergency response in one of Delhi’s most vulnerable stretches.