Overspeeding car mows down three, five hurt

Nellore: In a major road accident, three youngsters were crushed to death and five others sustained critical injuries when a car ran over them, after knocking them down from motorcycles, on the National Highway near Narayana Engineering College in Nellore, late on Sunday evening.

The survivors blamed the driver of the car, a 23-year-old woman identified as Priyanka Sharon, for the rampage. Barring one, all the victims were students and the mishap took place when they were on their way to Mypadu beach to celebrate Friendship Day.

Nellore rural circle inspector Sudhakar Reddy said rash and negligent driving caused the mishap. As per the information given by the victims to the police, Priyanka, who was accompanied by two of her friends — Vineela, 26, and 28-year-old Vinnoothna — was speeding after entering the National Highway from near the children’s park.

The mishap took place when she lost control of her car, a Ford Figo, and the vehicle jumped over the divider. The car then rammed into three motorcycles. Priyanka allegedly fled the scene leaving her two injured friends in the car after the incident and the police has launched a search for her. All the injured were admitted to Simhapuri Hospital.

Among the injured, P. Venkateswar Reddy, 21, an employee of Genco, succumbed to injuries at 9 pm while undergoing treatment. A short while later, his cousin P. Karthik, an Intermediate student, also died.

G. Vijayakumar, an MBA student at Narayana Engineering College, died of his injuries on Monday morning. The injured have been identified as Rahul, Jaheer, Venkatesh, Satish and Durga. The condition of two of them is critical. Meanwhile, Vineela and Vinoothna are also undergoing treatment.

An eyewitness said that the driver of the car had no remorse over the incident and she defended her action stating that she lost control of the vehicle after she got some dust in her eyes. Circle inspector Sudhakar Reddy said that they have formed a team to track down the driver.

Meanwhile classmates of the deceased staged a rasta roko demanding the arrest of the driver on Monday morning. They relented after Nellore rural police, led by the DSP Rambabu, assured them that stringent action will be taken.