Tourist Killed In Goa Crash, 19-Year-Old Boy Arrested, But Witnesses Say Woman Was Behind Wheel

Assagao: A road accident involving a rented Mahindra Thar has taken a controversial turn after local eyewitnesses have alleged a cover-up in the investigation. 

While the police have officially named a 19-year-old Delhi man as the driver in a fatal crash that killed an elderly tourist, a chorus of residents insists that a woman was actually behind the wheel at the time of the impact.

The Fatal Collision 

The incident occurred on Monday, February 23, 2026, at the Happy Bar junction in Assagao, North Goa. A speeding, rented Mahindra Thar allegedly rammed into a Hyundai i20 carrying a family from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

The victim, identified as 65-year-old Bhagatram Sharma, was killed on the spot due to the severity of the impact. Two other family members sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital, while a five-month-old infant miraculously escaped unharmed.

The Controversy: Who Was Driving?

According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Anjuna police station, Shaurya Goyal (19), a resident of Delhi, has been booked for rash and negligent driving causing death.

However, the local community has presented a different version of events. Multiple eyewitnesses, including resident Myron Fernandes, claim they saw a woman driving a thar when it struck the Sharma family’s car.

Locals allege that immediately following the collision, the woman moved to the passenger seat while the male suspect took her place in the driver's seat to shield her from legal repercussions.

Social media videos have surfaced showing a young man on a phone call near the vehicle, saying, "Papa, I was at the intersection... and we just crashed." In the same footage, three women are seen seated in the back of the damaged Thar.

The Investigation

The Goa Police are currently investigating the discrepancy between the accused's official statement and the locals' claim of the Assagao residents. The rented Thar has been seized for forensic examination.

Authorities are scanning CCTV footage from cameras near the Happy Bar junction to confirm the exact sequence of events and identify the person behind the wheel at the moment of impact. 

A case has been registered under sections 106(1) (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving), and 125 (endangering life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The case has reignited a heated debate in Goa regarding the safety of rental vehicles and accountability.

Local leaders have called for an investigation, warning that any attempt to manipulate the scene of a fatal accident will be met with public protest.

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