New Delhi: It is hard to imagine what the owner must have gone through after a valet at a five-star hotel in New Delhi caused Rs. 2 crore worth of damage to a Lamborghini Gallardo after crashing it into a concrete wall in front of horrified guests.
The valet appeared to have control of the high-end car while bringing it to the porch. He rammed the Lamborghini into a stationary sedan and pushed it aside. The car eventually hit the concrete railing of the rampart.
CCTV footage apparently showed the valet bring the car from the parking area to the porch of the multi-storey hotel, which hosts several glitzy restaurants and a bar, and then briefly get out.
After climbing back behind the wheel, he then lurches forward inexplicably, sending a colleague diving for cover before piling head-on into the wall, injuring himself in the process.
By the time, the valet took control of the car, it was a mess with its front completely destroyed. The impact of Lamborghini's collision with sedan car was such that the car got pushed and hit another parked car.
The incident took place on July 3 at the Le Meridian hotel in New Delhi. A photograph of the aftermath at Le Meridien hotel showed the severely crumpled front end of the sleek white supercar with its hood forced up.
Hotel authorities said that the incident was due to the valet's mistake, who also sustained injuries in the accident.
One of the best selling sports car, the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is no ordinary car.
The valet has been identified as Arun Kumar. The cost of the repairs has been estimated at around Rs 2 crore. It is unsure whether the hotel has offered compensation.
"The car had been parked by valets a number of times before," distressed driver Nipun Miglani told the newspaper, saying he had borrowed the Italian-made speedster from a friend and driven to the hotel last Thursday.
He has filed a police case against Le Meridien, which has refused to accept responsibility, as well as the valet, named as Arun Kumar. He claims the repairs have been estimated at Rs. 2 crore
The rear-wheel-drive Gallardo, named after a type of fighting bull, is capable of a top speed of around 200 miles an hour (321 kilometres an hour) and has an engine packing more than 550 brake horsepower.
It sells in Europe for around approximately Rs. 1.50 crore but import duties on supercars normally double their price in India.
