A speeding Bolero mowed down three people returning from a wedding in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh late Sunday night, killing a father and his son and seriously injuring a third person. The driver fled the scene — but not before snatching a mobile phone from one of the injured victims who had recorded the accident on camera.

Ramkripal Sen, 60, his son Sandeep Sen, 32, and Hemant Kushwaha, 19, all residents of Baderapura (Saunp), were riding together on a single motorcycle after attending a wedding at a hotel in Chhatarpur. Around 11 pm, near Hama village under City Kotwali police station limits, an unidentified Bolero hit them at high speed. Ramkripal died at the spot. Sandeep and Hemant were rushed to the district hospital in critical condition, where Sandeep succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Hemant remains hospitalised.

It was Hemant who told police what happened after the crash. He had managed to record a video of the accident on his phone — but when the driver noticed, he walked up to the injured young man and snatched the device before fleeing, apparently to eliminate any footage that could identify him or his vehicle. Police recovered broken vehicle parts from the scene and are using them to trace the Bolero.

Villagers have pointed to another factor that may have contributed to the accident. A bridge construction project by a company identified as MKC is underway near Hama village, and soil and construction material have been left on the road without any barricades or warning boards in place. Witnesses said the three were stationary on the roadside because of bright oncoming headlights when the Bolero struck them and ran up onto a mound of earth.

City Kotwali Station in-charge Satish Singh reached the spot with a police team after being informed. Both bodies have been sent for postmortem. A large crowd of villagers and family members gathered at the district hospital through the night. Police are scanning CCTV footage from the area to track down the absconding driver.

The incident raises two separate concerns — a hit-and-run by a reckless driver who went as far as stealing evidence from an injured victim, and the alleged negligence of a construction company that left an unmarked hazard on a public road at night.