BENGALURU: In a horrific accident on Hosur Road, two people were killed while seven others sustained injuries when a speeding car mowed down all of them while they were waiting for a bus at the Ennegere Gate bus stop on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as Sowmya, 27, a techie, and her mother-in-law Radha, 59. While Radha died on the spot, Sowmya breathed her last in the ICU of Sparsh Hospital, police said.
The accident happened around 8.30 am and the victims were rushed to Sparsh Hospital by 8,45 a.m. The injured have been identified as Sanvi, 4, daughter of the deceased Sowmya; Rani, 25, Varalakshmi, 29, Lakshmi, 26, Paapu, 33, Gowramma, 38 and Kondappa, 32.
“Rani has sustained head, pelvic and vascular injuries and is in critical condition. Others are out of danger,” said Ramesh, the manager of Sparsh Hospital. Most of the injured victims were garment factory workers and four of them have already been discharged, police said.
“Four people, including the two deceased, were tossed up in the air when the car came at high speed and rammed all the nine people who were on the side of the road,” said Sharman, who runs a paan shop behind the Ennegere Gate bus stop. “The road was empty and it’s not clear why the car veered to the extreme left where people were standing,” he added.
“We were waiting for a bus to go to a relative’s house in R.R. Nagar while a car at a high speed came to the extreme left of the road mowing down all the people who were standing before the bus stop,” said Ramachandra, husband of Radha and father-in-law of Sowmya, both deceased. “My granddaughter Sanvi sustained a fracture on her leg and is undergoing treatment,” he added. The family was residing in Chandapura and Soumya’s husband Raghavendra, a software engineer, is currently working in Canada. Family members and relatives of both the deceased were inconsolable.
“It all happened in a split second and before we could realise what was happening, the car went on rampage spree for over 20 feet hitting all the people on its way,” said another victim Paappu’s husband Needhi to DC. Paappu and Needhi were waiting for a bus to go to a hospital in Tilak Nagar.
The bus stop where the accident took place (Photo: DC)
According to the police, the white Honda City car (registration number TN-22-CQ 3786) was being driven recklessly by one Karthik, 30, a resident of Krishnagiri and an engineer at the Mines and Minerals Company there. Police said Karthik and two of his colleagues were coming to Bengaluru from Krishnagiri to attend a company meeting at Koramangala. Karthik was reportedly behind the wheel and driving at high speed.
“Investigations so far revealed that Karthik was not driving under influence and the accident could have happened as he lost control over the car he was driving at a high speed,” said a senior police officer. “It is also not clear whether Karthik fell asleep while driving, added the police. Karthik has been arrested by the Hebbagodi police, who have booked him under sections IPC 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279 (rash driving on a public way), and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).
Fearing public wrath, Karthik did not stop the car at the spot, but drove it to some distance and then stopped. He then surrendered before the Hebbagodi police, said an investigating officer.
Meanwhile, the locals chased the car and vandalized it. The car was seized and towed away to police station. Two other inmates of the car also managed to flee, said the police.
Senior police officer B. Ramesh, Superintendent of Police, Bangalore Rural visited the accident spot around 2.30 pm and later met the injured victims at Sparsh Hospital.
Girl unaware of mother’s death
Sanvi, the four-year-old daughter of deceased Sowmya is being treated for her left leg fracture at the Sparsh Hospital. She is still unaware about the death of her mother and grandmother. She still believes that both of them are getting treated at the same hospital in different wards. Sowmya’s husband has been informed about the accident and he is on the way to India, after which her last rites will be done, said a relative.
