Kanpur Lamborghini crash: Lawyer denies tobacco tycoon son Shivam Mishra was driving; Police say otherwise

At least six people were injured on Sunday afternoon after a speeding Lamborghini, allegedly driven by the son of a prominent tobacco trader, rammed into pedestrians and two-wheelers

• Lamborghini crash in Kanpur injures six, sparks chaos and debate on speeding
• Police claim Shivam Mishra was driving amid conflicting reports.
• Incident renews scrutiny of luxury car crashes and accountability across India

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A high-end Lamborghini speeding through Kanpur’s Gwaltoli area on Sunday left at least six people injured after it veered out of control near VIP Road close to Rev-3 Mall.

The sports car struck pedestrians, an autorickshaw, and parked two-wheelers before crashing into an electric pole, triggering chaos and anger at the scene.

According to officials, the vehicle first hit an auto-rickshaw and then slammed into a parked Royal Enfield motorcycle, throwing its rider several metres. One of the injured, Taufiq from Yamunaganj, suffered leg injuries, while others sustained fractures and multiple wounds.

Conflicting claims over who was driving

The case took a dramatic turn on Monday with contradictory accounts emerging about who was behind the wheel.

Shivam Mishra’s lawyer, Mrityunjay Kumar, maintained that his client was not driving at the time of the crash. “The hearing proceedings will be held tomorrow. Shivam was not driving; his driver, Mohan, was. This is an accident case. When he was not driving, then there can be no case against him,” he said.

Shivam Mishra is the son of tobacco businessman KK Mishra, owner of Banshidhar Exports Pvt Ltd.

However, Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal presented a different version during a press briefing. “We have found the details of the car. The car has been seized. The car was driven by Shivam Mishra. After the accident, Shivam Mishra’s bouncers pulled him out of the car. It is being said that he has some medical issues. The FIR of the accident was registered earlier, and now, in our investigation, we have learned that the name of the driver is Shivam Mishra,” he said.

Police confirmed that while Shivam’s name does not appear in the FIR, he is part of the ongoing investigation.

Escape attempt and medical claim

After the collision, the driver allegedly tried to leave the spot with assistance from bouncers who were following in another vehicle. Visuals from the location showed the security personnel escorting him away amid heated exchanges with local residents.

Meanwhile, the family of Shivam has claimed that he suffered a seizure while at the wheel, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Luxury car crashes under spotlight

The Kanpur episode has reignited debate around speeding high-end vehicles and accountability. The incident has drawn comparisons with several high-profile crashes across the country in recent years.

In July 2025, a drunk Audi driver allegedly ran over five people sleeping on a footpath in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area. In March 2025, a red Lamborghini reportedly struck two labourers in Noida’s Sector 94.

In 2024, a Porsche crash in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar killed two IT professionals, prompting nationwide outrage over juvenile justice laws and drunken driving. The same year, separate BMW crashes in Noida left multiple casualties, with police booking drivers for rash and negligent driving.

Earlier cases include a Jaguar crash on Ahmedabad’s ISKCON Bridge in 2023 that killed nine people, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom collision with a fuel tanker in Haryana the same year. In 2022, a BMW travelling at over 230 kmph crashed on the Purvanchal Expressway, killing all four occupants.

The death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a Mercedes-Benz crash in Palghar in 2022 also intensified conversations around overspeeding and seat-belt compliance. In Bengaluru in 2021, seven people were killed after a speeding Audi Q3 hit a roadside pole and a building wall. A Mercedes-Benz crash in Hosapete in 2020 similarly led to fatalities and charges of rash and negligent driving.

As investigations continue in Kanpur, the focus remains on determining who was driving and whether criminal liability will follow in a case that has once again brought questions of speed, privilege, and accountability to the forefront.