A retired Army Brigadier lost his life in a shocking incident of road rage and gun violence in Dehradun early Monday morning, after being struck by a stray bullet while out on his routine walk.

The deceased, identified as 70-year-old VK Joshi, had stepped out near his residence in the Rajpur area when the incident unfolded between approximately 6.45 am and 7 am.

What began as a confrontation between occupants of two vehicles quickly escalated into a dangerous chase and exchange of gunfire along Rajpur Road.

According to police officials, the sequence of events was triggered when one SUV attempted to overtake another vehicle bearing a Delhi registration.

The failed manoeuvre reportedly led to a heated altercation, following which the occupants of one car began pursuing the other at high speed.

During the chase, shots were fired, allegedly aimed at the tyres of the fleeing vehicle to force it to stop. In the midst of this reckless firing, one of the bullets veered off course and struck Brigadier Joshi, who had no connection whatsoever to the dispute.

He collapsed on the spot and succumbed to his injuries instantly. The situation further spiralled when the Delhi-registered SUV lost control and crashed into a roadside tree.

The attackers then reportedly halted their vehicle, physically assaulted the occupants of the crashed car, vandalised the vehicle, and fled the area.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with multiple gunshots ringing through the otherwise calm residential stretch.

One local who rushed to the spot said people accompanying the Brigadier informed him that he had been hit during the firing between the two vehicles.

Police later recovered an abandoned vehicle believed to be linked to the attackers. A case has been registered, and teams have been deployed to identify and track down those involved in the incident.

Authorities have said that preliminary findings point to a case of road rage turning deadly, but further investigation is underway to establish the identities of the suspects and the exact motive behind the violence.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the area, raising serious concerns about public safety and the dangers of escalating confrontations on busy roads.