A late-night drive home turned fatal for a young software professional in Greater Noida after his car skidded off the road and fell into a deep, water-filled pit near Sector-150. The victim, Yuvraj Mehta (27), remained stranded for hours as emergency teams struggled to reach him amid darkness and thick fog.

Yuvraj, who worked with a Gurugram-based analytics firm, was returning from office on Friday night when the accident occurred barely minutes from his residence at Tata Eureka Park Society. According to preliminary findings, his vehicle lost balance on a poorly marked stretch, broke through a boundary and landed in an under-construction basement filled with rainwater.

Trapped inside, Yuvraj managed to call his father and share his location. Police, fire brigade and disaster response teams soon arrived, but the operation proved extremely difficult. Witnesses said the car was floating in the deep pit, and the victim was intermittently visible, calling out for help. However, freezing conditions, lack of lighting and structural hazards slowed the rescue.

After nearly four hours, the vehicle went completely underwater. An NDRF team later retrieved Yuvraj and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The family has accused authorities and builders of criminal negligence. In a complaint, Yuvraj’s father said the site had no barricades, warning boards or reflectors, despite being close to a busy residential zone. Residents claimed they had earlier flagged the danger posed by the open, waterlogged structure.

Police have registered an FIR against two real estate companies linked to the site and begun an investigation into safety violations. Senior officials said action would follow based on technical and administrative reports.

The incident has reignited concerns over hazardous construction zones across Noida and Greater Noida, where uncovered drains and basements often turn into death traps during winter fog and monsoon months. Locals are demanding stricter audits and immediate barricading of all such locations.