Close X
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian-Origin Doctor, 33, Dies After He Falls Asleep Behind Wheel In UK

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Jul, 2016 01:18 PM
    An Indian-origin doctor who died in a car crash after working three long night shifts is believed to have fallen asleep behind the wheel just a couple of kilometres away from home, a British court has heard.
     
    Ronak Patel, 33, a trainee anaesthetist from Ixworth village, Suffolk county, had been singing on the phone to his wife to help keep him awake, an inquest heard this week.
     
    He had been working three long night shifts when his car hit a lorry in August last year, his inquest heard this week.
     
    Dr Patel is believed to have fallen asleep on the highway at Honington in Suffolk, about five kilometres from his home.
     
    "The most plausible explanation for the collision was that Dr Patel fell asleep," local police accident investigator Mark Webb told the hearing.
     
    The doctor was declared dead at the scene after he sustained a broken neck and other injuries.
     
    Yvonne Blake, Suffolk assistant coroner, concluded that he died as a result of his car being involved in a collision with a heavy goods vehicle, The Times reported.
     
    Dr Patel's wife Helen had earlier told police that he had been keen to get back home and they had been singing to each other over his hands-free phone to keep him awake.
     
    But he was cut off while driving home from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and she tried to call him back 14 times without getting any reply before getting into her car to find him.
     
    The inquest at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk heard that she was met by police on the way, who told her that there had been an accident.
     
    "He was a highly regarded and capable doctor and was extremely popular within the department," a spokesperson from Dr Patel's workplace said.
     
    His mother Mina Patel said her son "was an inspiration to everyone he met".
     
    Recent research in the UK has indicated that the medical professions have the worst road accident rates.
     
    Local GPs have the highest rate, with 13 per cent having made an "at-fault" claim in the past three years, compared with the 6 per cent average for British workers.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Indian-origin Hedge Fund Manager Sanjay Valvani Charged With Insider Trading

    Indian-origin Hedge Fund Manager Sanjay Valvani Charged With Insider Trading
    A hedge fund manager of Indian origin has been charged with participating in a stock market insider trading scam involving generic drugs that allegedly netted him at least $25 million in profits, according to US authorities.

    Indian-origin Hedge Fund Manager Sanjay Valvani Charged With Insider Trading

    Orlando Nightclub Shooting Has Greater Impact For LGBT Muslims: Activist

    Orlando Nightclub Shooting Has Greater Impact For LGBT Muslims: Activist
    For some who identify with both Islam and the LGBT community, the attack and its aftermath appears to have underscored the confluence of homophobia and Islamophobia.

    Orlando Nightclub Shooting Has Greater Impact For LGBT Muslims: Activist

    Indian Peacekeepers, UN Diplomats To Join Yoga Day Celebrations

    Indian Peacekeepers, UN Diplomats To Join Yoga Day Celebrations
    Indian peacekeepers serving in UN missions, participants from about 100 nationalities and top UN diplomats will join the second International Day of Yoga celebration next week with emphasis on how Yoga can help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Indian Peacekeepers, UN Diplomats To Join Yoga Day Celebrations

    Hindu Priest Receives Death Threat In Bangladesh

    Hindu Priest Receives Death Threat In Bangladesh
    "The security of the (RK) Mission has been intensified as the priest filed a general diary with us," duty officer of the city's Wari police station told.

    Hindu Priest Receives Death Threat In Bangladesh

    H-1B Visa Abuse Harming American Workers: NYT

    H-1B Visa Abuse Harming American Workers: NYT
    H-1B visa "abuse" is harming American workers, leading US daily New York Times said on Thursday and asked the US Congress to close the loopholes as some companies skirt rules for using foreign workers with such visas by outsourcing recruitments to firms like Tata and Infosys.

    H-1B Visa Abuse Harming American Workers: NYT

    Kenya: Bomb Scare At Canadian High Commission Over Visas

    Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet said Thursday the road to the Canadian diplomatic offices was sealed off as Kenyan bomb experts inspected the package.

    Kenya: Bomb Scare At Canadian High Commission Over Visas