Pothole jots 'brain-dead' woman back to life in UP: 'Nothing short of a miracle'

Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 11:32 IST

Vineeta, a senior assistant in the copy section at judicial courts in Pilibhit, fainted on February 22 while doing household work.

While potholes are a major problem in the country, it proved to be a boon for a brain-dead woman in Uttar Pradesh. A pothole on the Bareilly-Haridwar NH-74 unexpectedly revived 50-year-old Vineeta Shukla after doctors had declared there was clinically “no sign of life" in her, according to a  Times of India report.

She had been discharged from a hospital in Bareilly with almost no hope of survival. Her husband, Kuldeep Kumar Shukla, was bringing her home on February 24 in an ambulance when the vehicle hit a pothole on the damaged stretch of the highway.

Her husband, Kuldeep Kumar Shukla, said doctors had given almost no hope of survival and the family had begun preparing for her last rites.

‘Nothing short of a miracle’

Kuldeep said the ambulance struck a large pothole near Hafizganj, causing a violent jerk. Moments later, Vineeta started breathing normally again.

“I immediately informed my family to suspend all the funeral preparations," he told TOI.

She was quickly taken to Neurocity Hospital in Pilibhit, where she received critical medical care. Kuldeep later said his wife returned home on Monday and is now awake and talking to family members.

Medical explanation

Dr Rakesh Singh, a neurosurgeon at Neurocity Hospital, reviewed her earlier medical records from Bareilly before starting treatment.

He said her brainstem reflexes were absent and her Glasgow Coma Scale had dropped to three points, far below the normal level of 15, showing complete unresponsiveness. Her pupils were dilated and tests detected heavy neurotoxins in her bloodstream and lymphatic system. Doctors said the diagnosis and treatment helped her recover.

Sudden collapse at home

According to her family, Vineeta, a senior assistant in the copy section at judicial courts in Pilibhit, fainted on February 22 while doing household work.

Her relatives first took her to Autonomous State Medical College Pilibhit, where doctors referred her to a more advanced medical facility in Bareilly.

News india Pothole jots 'brain-dead' woman back to life in UP: 'Nothing short of a miracle'

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