On a day meant to celebrate fathers, one Noida family is grieving the sudden, avoidable loss of theirs. In the early hours of Wednesday, a 4AM Uber ride turned fatal when the driver allegedly fell asleep and crashed into a stationary truck on the Delhi-Noida Direct Flyway — leaving a man dead and his family forever broken.
The victim, a Noida resident, had left his home at 3:50AM to catch a flight to Bengaluru for a business meeting. The Uber ride, booked from his residence in Noida to IGI Airport, ended fatally when the vehicle rammed into a stationary truck on the DND Highway. According to the family, the driver fell asleep while driving — a detail not acknowledged by Uber or the authorities so far.
Family discovered accident through iPhone crash alert
In a shocking turn, no one from Uber or emergency services informed the family of the crash.
"Nobody contacted the family. I got a crash notification on the iPhone and that's how we found out," said Shriti Arora, the victim's daughter.
When they reached the scene, they found him still in the vehicle.
"No one even cared to take him out or provide any help — the Uber driver, cops, nobody helped," she added.
Uber driver blames tyre burst — family disputes claim
After repeated pleading at the scene, the family was eventually directed to AIIMS Trauma Center, where the Uber driver was being questioned. There, he told the police that a tyre burst caused the crash.
But the family isn't convinced.
"We have pictures of the accident and no tyre burst or flat tyre can be seen," Shriti said. "He fell asleep while driving."
She added that the driver was unharmed, likely due to the airbags — while her father, seated in the rear left, took the fatal impact.
Uber's delayed response
Despite the severity of the incident, Uber made no effort to contact the family.
"Nobody contacted us, until we made a post on social media. So far, they have just asked for the registered mobile number," Shriti shared.
To date, there has been no confirmation from the authorities on whether the driver's version of events has been investigated in light of the family's photographic evidence.
As they mourn their loss, the family is now raising serious questions about Uber's responsibility in the tragedy — from driver fatigue to crisis response.
"He was going to the airport to take a flight to Bangalore, he had a meeting there," said Shriti. "Instead, we found him in a crashed cab. And no one — not even the company we trusted for his ride — cared."
On Father's Day, their grief is compounded by silence — and a sense of injustice.
