Noida: A body of a 24-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was found beside a nullah in Greater Noida’s Ecotech 3 area on Monday morning after an unidentified vehicle hit his auto from behind and fled the scene, said police officials.The deceased, identified as Pradeep Kumar, 24, was originally from Etah who resided with family in Greater Noida. (Representational image)The deceased, identified as Pradeep Kumar, 24, was originally from Etah who resided with family in Greater Noida.According to police, when Kumar did not return home from work on Monday morning, his family went out to search for him. “While searching on his way back home, they found his body lying next to a nullah beside his damaged auto-rickshaw, a few meters before the Yamaha Cut in Greater Noida,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.“After we were alerted via the emergency helpline number 112 by his family, a team from Ecotech 3 police station rushed to the spot and sent his body for a post-mortem examination,” the officer added.Based on a preliminary investigation, police suspect that on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, Kumar was probably returning home in his auto when an unidentified heavy vehicle rear-ended it, causing it to crash into a tree.“Following the incident, Kumar, who sustained severe injuries, got out of the damaged vehicle and walked near a nullah, where he later succumbed to his injuries,” the officer added.Police said as the incident took place late at night and there was no commotion near the spot, the accident was not reported immediately. Also, no CCTV cameras are installed in the area.Following a complaint from Kumar’s family, a case of rash driving and causing death by negligence under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections has been registered at Ecotech 3 police station against unknown person, and efforts are on to identify the vehicle involved, the police added..