Lucknow, May 23 -- Four persons were crushed to death early Saturday after a speeding dumper truck allegedly ran over five members of a family while they were sleeping outside their house in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, police said.

Police identified the deceased as Neeraj (35), his son Anurag (13), and daughters Anshika (10) and Anshu (6). Neeraj's wife Aarti (35) was critically injured and was later referred to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences for advanced treatment.

Their relatives said that a speeding dumper first rammed into a tree before mowing down the family sleeping along the roadside around 2 am. Locals took them to the district hospital.

The family said Neeraj earned a living by driving a rented magic vehicle...