TV host-cum-actress Rashmi Gautam has opened up on her car accident and said that she was not at fault and went to get the victim treated on the grounds of humanity.
Rashmi Gautam was returning home in Gajuwaka on Sunday when her car hit a truck driver named Sayyed Abdul on the Agnampudi Highway near Vizag. She immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital and he is doing fine now. A case was filed at the Duvvada police station and the police have taken Rashmi Gautam's driver MA Gautam into custody.
A day after the accident, Rashmi Gautam spoke to a leading daily and defended herself. "I was just 15-20 minutes away from my home when this happened. There were no lights at this part of the highway and this man was running across the road when we unfortunately hit him," the actress told the Times of India.
Rashmi Gautam added, "Unlike many, I stayed there. My first call was to my production team informing them about the accident. Then I called up the ambulance. When I was told that it was at NAD junction almost nearly 30-40 minutes away from us, me and my driver picked him up, carried him to the Agnampudi government hospital."
What disappointed Rashmi Gautam the most was the attitude of the public. The actress claimed that there were hundreds of people gather around, but none literally helped her. Some of them were busy taking pictures and video of the accident, while others kept arguing with her and giving her pieces of advice.
Rashmi Gautam said, "Last night, I realised why people hit and run. Because when you take responsibility, people badger you left right and centre. Hundreds of them swarmed around within minutes but there was no help. They were badgering my car. What was more saddening was that they were taking pictures and videos when I rolled down the window glass to inquire about the location."
The Jabardasth host added, "The most disappointing moment of the night was the public's attitude. Especially there were young boys, who can really act responsibly and help us out sort things but they were busy taking pictures and videos? Moreover, they were unnecessarily complicating things. Except for a couple of guys, there was literally no help for us. This is why nobody wants to take responsibility in a hit and run case."
The actress said that she had several reasons to blame others for this accident, but the priority the moment was to admit him in a hospital and getting treatment. She did it and the victim is recovering.
"Why should I be silent when I'm not at fault? What happened was really unfortunate and we took complete responsibility and did what we must. In fact, who should be blamed here? The man who was lazy enough to take a foot over the bridge but crossed the highway or the local authority that did not check on the functionality of the lights on the highway?" asked Rashmi Gautam.
