An early morning joyride turned tragic before sunrise on Friday, February 13, 2026, when an SUV traveling at more than 150 kilometers per hour triggered a multi-vehicle crash on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India. The high-speed collision killed all six students inside the SUV as well as a motorcyclist returning home after his shift. The horrific accident occurred between 4:15 and 4:30 a.m. near Kambalipura Gate on the Hoskote-Dabaspet National Highway, leaving the SUV completely destroyed.
Investigators discovered that the six students—five minors and one 18-year-old—had left their homes around 3 a.m. without informing their families. The driver, 17-year-old Ayaan Ali, had taken his father’s XUV 700 and picked up his friends for what they believed would be a fun early morning drive along the Hoskote–Devanahalli stretch.
Police reported that the crash began when Ali, allegedly driving between 150 and 160 kmph on a road with a 100 kmph limit, slammed into a motorcycle from behind. The rider, 26-year-old Gagan, who worked as a supervisor at Safal Market and lived in Devanayakanahalli, was thrown into the air and died on the spot. He had been heading home after finishing his usual night shift.
After the initial impact, the SUV lost control and collided with a truck ahead. The force was so powerful that it ripped apart the truck’s rear axle and assembly, causing the vehicle to overturn onto the service road. The SUV then struck a crash barrier and slid along it for roughly 150 meters before coming to a stop.
The truck driver, 32-year-old Balasubramani, sustained injuries but survived. “The road was empty, and I was driving normally in my lane when something hit my truck from behind and it toppled within seconds,” he said from his hospital bed.
All six students in the SUV were declared dead at the scene. Police identified them as Ayaan Ali, 17, a Class 10 student from Kothanur; Arhaan Sharif, 16, a Class 10 student from HBR Layout; Ashwin Nair, 17, a first-year PU student from Kothanur; Ethan George, 17, a first-year PU student from Hulimavu; Bharath, 17, a Class 10 student from Frazer Town; and Mohammed Farhan Shaik, 18, a Class 10 correspondence student living in Kammanahalli.
The situation worsened about 15 minutes later when a car heading toward Bengaluru airport hit the truck’s detached axle still lying on the road. The two occupants of that vehicle suffered minor injuries.
By around 11 a.m., distraught parents arrived at the Hoskote Government Hospital, struggling to believe what had happened. Many initially thought their children were still asleep at home. Police had first informed families that the teenagers were injured, leaving them unprepared for the devastating reality in the mortuary.
For Gagan’s family, the loss was particularly devastating. The 26-year-old supported his visually impaired mother and was the only son after his father’s death. His uncle Devaraj told reporters, “Gagan was the pillar of our house.”
Investigators said that although speed cameras and CCTV systems exist along the highway, they were initially unable to retrieve clear footage. The multi-vehicle crash took place on the Dabaspet-Hoskote Satellite Town Ring Road, where the speed limit is 100 kilometers per hour—far below the SUV’s estimated speed.
The XUV 700 was reduced to a twisted mass of metal and shattered debris, making the identification of victims difficult for first responders.
Police have opened a comprehensive investigation into the incident, including whether alcohol or other substances played a role. The Dabaspet-Hoskote Satellite Town Ring Road, usually quiet during the early hours, became the site of one of Bengaluru’s most heartbreaking accidents in recent years, claiming seven young lives within seconds.