A driver lost control of his SUV at a high speed in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur on Friday morning, hitting an electricity pole and plunging an entire locality into darkness for some time.
Officials said the car rammed into the pole in the Bilhari area, under the Gora Bazar police station limits around 5 am.
The impact was so severe that the power pole snapped and collapsed. The loud crash jolted residents from their homes and they rushed outside to find that the driver had fled, leaving the damaged vehicle behind.
CCTV footage shows the speeding SUV going straight before beginning to drift as the driver loses control, and then ramming into the pole. The front of the vehicle was mangled, underscoring the speed at which it was being driven.
जबलपुर में भयानक सड़क हादसा, तेज रफ्तार गाड़ी पोल से टकराई...शुक्र है ड्राइवर सुरक्षित है pic.twitter.com/07JdE2Q38N
— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) January 30, 2026
Officials said the driver was saved by the SUV's airbags and fled immediately. "The damaged car has been seized and we are trying to trace the driver. A detailed investigation is underway to find out the exact cause of the accident," a police official said.
Residents of Bilhari said the stretch has turned into an accident hotspot, with several serious crashes being reported due to speeding and reckless driving. They have called for stricter checks on speeding vehicles and constructing speed breakers to prevent such accidents in the future.
