The impact happened at noon on a stretch of NH‑730 about 42 km from Pilibhit district headquarters, near a sugar mill, where a car carrying a family of three was traveling from Puranpur to Khutar.
Circle Officer Vidhi Bhushan Maurya said the truck driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene, prompting police to seize the truck and the mangled car. He added, "The bodies have been sent for post‑mortem and both vehicles are in custody; the exact cause is under investigation."
The victims—Shefali, 60, her son Tarak, 35, and daughter‑in‑law Sadhana Gayan, 45—were residents of Shakti Farm in Sitarganj. They were on their way to Gola Gokaran Nath for a naming ceremony at a relative’s house.
Two children were rescued; Khushboo, 16, sustained a serious head injury and is in critical condition, while Shantanu, 14, is being treated for injuries at the district hospital. Local volunteers and police worked together to extract the trapped adults from the wreckage.
Police will file charges once the investigation concludes; meanwhile, the families await answers and the fate of the fleeing truck driver.