Speeding Driver arrested for Hit-and-Run that Killed Fauja Singh

A man has been arrested for allegedly killing 114-year-old marathon icon Fauja Singh in a hit-and-run incident in Punjab.

Amritpal Singh Dhillon, who is a resident of Canada, was arrested at his home in Kartarpur.

His Toyota Fortuner, which police say was used in the fatal collision, has also been seized. The vehicle was registered in Punjab.

Fauja Singh died on July 14, 2025, in Jalandhar.

Popularly known as the “Turbaned Tornado”, Singh was crossing the road when he was hit by a speeding SUV.

Locals rushed him to the hospital, but he later died of his injuries.

Dhillon, who returned to India on June 23, claimed he had no idea he had hit the world’s oldest marathon runner until he saw the news.

Senior police officer Harvinder Singh Virk said:

“He got scared after hitting Fauja Singh, and that is why he did not stop his car at the spot.

“It was Dhillon’s responsibility to stop the vehicle at the time of the accident and he should have taken Fauja Singh to a hospital.”

According to police, Dhillon had been living in Canada on a work permit valid until 2027 after initially entering on a tourist visa.

Police say Dhillon was speeding because he was in a hurry, though they have not specified his exact destination.

Multiple teams traced the SUV using CCTV footage and broken parts recovered from the scene.

Officer Virk continued: “We found some parts of the car from the crime scene. The pieces were then shown to the experts, who said the vehicle was an old model of a Toyota Fortuner.

“When we scanned the CCTV, the part recovered was missing from a Fortuner vehicle. We were then confident that the accident happened with the said vehicle.”

The vehicle was traced to Varinder Singh, a Kapurthala resident, who told police he had sold it to Dhillon.

After tracking him down, police say Dhillon admitted to the crime and also revealed that he had one of the SUV’s tyres changed on the day of the incident.

Reports suggest Fauja Singh’s life may have been saved had Dhillon taken him to hospital immediately.

Fauja Singh, a British citizen of Indian origin, began running at age 89.

He went on to complete nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013, retiring at 102. He became a global symbol of endurance, faith, and healthy ageing, earning fans around the world.

Police confirmed the white SUV used in the accident has been recovered and that Dhillon is now in custody pending further legal proceedings.