An early morning joyride turned deadly before sunrise on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, when an SUV traveling at over 100 mph caused a multi-vehicle collision on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India. The high‑speed crash killed all six students inside the SUV as well as a motorcyclist heading 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 mangled.
Investigators found that the six students—five minors and one 18-year-old—had slipped out of their homes around 3 a.m. without notifying their families. The driver, 17-year-old Ayaan Ali, had taken his father’s XUV 700 and gathered his friends for what they thought would be an enjoyable pre-dawn ride along the Hoskote–Devanahalli route.
According to police, the crash began when Ali, driving about 100 mph on a road with a 62 mph limit, struck a motorcycle from behind. The rider, 26-year-old Gagan, a supervisor at Safal Market and a resident of Devanayakanahalli, was thrown into the air and died instantly. He had been returning home after completing his night shift.
Following the first collision, the SUV spun out of control and rammed into a truck ahead. The impact was so intense that it tore apart the truck’s rear axle and assembly, overturning the vehicle onto the service road. The SUV then crashed into a barrier and scraped along it for nearly 160 yards before halting.
The truck driver, 32-year-old Balasubramani, was injured but survived. “The road was empty, and I was driving steadily in my lane when something hit my truck from behind and it toppled in seconds,” he recalled from his hospital bed.
All six students in the SUV were pronounced 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 from Kammanahalli.
The situation became worse roughly 15 minutes later when a car headed toward Bengaluru airport struck the truck’s detached axle still lying on the road. The two passengers in that vehicle received only minor injuries.
By around 11 a.m., grief‑stricken parents gathered at the Hoskote Government Hospital, unable to accept the tragic news. Many initially believed their children were still sleeping at home. Police had first told families the teens were injured, leaving them unprepared for the devastating scene at the mortuary.
For Gagan’s family, the loss was especially heartbreaking. The 26-year-old supported his visually impaired mother and was the only son after his father’s passing. His uncle Devaraj told reporters, “Gagan was the pillar of our house.”
Investigators stated that although speed cameras and CCTV systems exist along the highway, they initially could not retrieve clear footage. The multi-vehicle crash occurred on the Dabaspet–Hoskote Satellite Town Ring Road, where the speed limit is 62 mph—far below the SUV’s estimated speed.
The XUV 700 was reduced to a crushed heap of metal and debris, making victim identification challenging for first responders.
Police launched a full investigation into the incident, including whether alcohol or substances were involved. The Dabaspet–Hoskote Satellite Town Ring Road, typically quiet in the early hours, became the scene of one of Bengaluru’s most catastrophic accidents in recent years, claiming seven young lives in moments.