One Constable Killed, Five Injured as Elite Police Van Crashes on Motorway

LAHORE: At least one constable was killed and five other personnel sustained critical injuries on Thursday after an Elite Police patrol vehicle overturned following a sudden tyre blowout on the Sialkot Motorway near the Muridke-Narowal Interchange.

Emergency responders and Motorway Police personnel rushed to the scene immediately upon receiving distress calls from commuters. According to preliminary reports from police authorities, the operational vehicle lost control abruptly when one of its tyres burst at high speed, causing it to flip over multiple times before coming to a halt on the median. Rescue 1122 teams provided emergency first aid to the survivors at the site before shifting the deceased constable and the wounded personnel to a nearby trauma center for urgent medical treatment.

The fatal crash brings renewed scrutiny to vehicle maintenance standards and roadworthiness checks within provincial law enforcement fleets deployed on high-speed expressways. Elite Force units routinely traverse provincial transit corridors under rigorous schedules for rapid response operations, specialized tactical missions, and official security deployments, often facing hazardous driving conditions exacerbated by mechanical strain and seasonal temperature shifts.

Senior Punjab Police officials have taken formal notice of the incident and ordered an immediate administrative inquiry to determine the exact mechanical factors behind the tyre failure. Senior officers confirmed that full institutional support and financial compensation will be provided to the bereaved family of the martyred constable, alongside directives issued to district headquarters to mandate stringent fitness reviews of all active patrol vehicles.