‘When our car hit pothole, she started breathing’: Husband of woman who was declared ‘brain-dead’ in Bareilly

PILIBHIT (Uttar Pradesh):  In an interesting turn of events, a woman who was declared ‘brain-dead’ at a hospital in Bareilly, came back to life after a car she was travelling in struck a pothole, as her husband claimed on Wednesday.

The patient, identified as Vineeta Shukla, had fainted on February 22, and after receiving initial treatment at Pilibhit, she was referred to Bareilly, where she was treated for two days.

“When there was no improvement, she was discharged from there and brought back. All the preparations were done at the cremation ground”, Dr Rakesh Singh, who looked after Vineeta, said.

The woman was also treated with anti-snake venom as soon as her relatives noticed a little movement while they were back on their way.

“We deployed the entire ICU team and admitted her. Sometimes there are neurotoxins, which are released during snake bites. If someone suffers from such a condition, they may suddenly become unconscious and have no movement in their arms and legs because their pupils are also dilated..We then started treatment with an anti-snake venom. After 24 hours of starting the treatment, some movement was experienced. After a week, the patient slowly regained consciousness, and then the breathing tube was removed, and now she can walk on her own”, the doctor said.

Her husband, Kuldeep Shukla, for whom ‘pothole’ came as a blessing in disguise said Vineeta’s health is completely fine now.

“On the 22nd, she told me that she was having blood pressure problems, and she fainted 15 minutes after taking the medicine. We took her to the government hospital and they referred her to some other hospital. On the evening of the 23rd, they told us to take her home and said there was nothing left in her; she was not breathing, her pulse was dropping, and her blood pressure was also going down. When she was being brought back home on the 24th, the car hit a pothole on the way near Hafizganj, and she started breathing. We took her to Dr Rakesh Singh. It’s been 10 days, and she is fine”, Shukla said.

#WATCH | Pilibhit, UP: Patient Vineeta Shukla says, “My blood pressure was high. I had kept the tablet at home, and had it; I don’t know about the rest after that. Family members told me that I fainted… I don’t remember anything after that. I only know what these people told… pic.twitter.com/1Sq28b2axj

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2026

Vineeta also tried to recall the series of events. She said, “My blood pressure was high. I had kept the tablet at home, and had it; I don’t know about the rest after that. Family members told me that I fainted. I don’t remember anything after that. I only know what these people told me. Now I am feeling good”.

However, National Highways Authority of India has issued a statement over the incident stating that Bareilly-Sitarganj section is currently under construction, and rejected assertions about presence of pothole on the route.

“The existing stretches in the area are traffic-worthy and pothole-free, and are being maintained on a regular basis in accordance with the prescribed maintenance standards,” the nodal agency responsible for the development and maintenance of national highways said.

Interestingly, Pilibhit Bar Association also withdraw the condolence motion, it had issued after receiving the news about her reported death.

“At 11 am, we got the news that our employee had passed away. The condolence was sent, but by 11.30 am, the news came that when her body was being brought back, she started breathing, and then the condolence motion was withdrawn”, Advocate Rajiv Awasthi, President of the Bar Association said. (ANI)