A middle-aged woman, who used to earn her living by begging in the Bistupur locality of the steel city was crushed to death by a speeding SUV near the Keenan Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The incident took place around 1.45 pm when the SUV owned by Saagir Khan, district president of the Congress Minority Cell hit the woman who was sitting at one side of a road linking the Straight Mile Road, a busy thoroughfare which connects Sakchi with Bistupur.

According to eye-witnesses, the SUV carrying four persons including the driver was coming from the JRD Tata Sports Complex side at a speed of over 60 kmph.

"The speeding vehicle first hit a bike and then it crushed the woman sitting at one corner of the road connecting the Straight Mile Road, " said an eye-witness.

According to him, after hitting the bike, the SUV lost its control and hit the poor woman who was killed on the spot.

Two youths including the driver managed to escape leaving the vehicle on the spot.

The other two were caught and thrashed by the crowd which assembled at the spot soon after the tragic mishap.

A PCR ( Police Control Room ) van of the Bistupur police station reached the spot and seized the erring vehicle.

"The victim is a poor woman who used to beg in that area. We will register a case against the owner of the SUV. Hunt is on to nab the driver," said SK Singh, a police constable who was present at the spot.