Five Killed as Speeding Truck Mows Down Motorcycles in Odisha’s Berhampur

Bhubaneswar: In a tragic irony, five young men lost their lives in a horrific road accident in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Friday, the concluding day of Road Safety Month. The incident triggered widespread concern among the local residents over reckless driving and road infrastructure safety.

According to reports, the accident occurred near the Haldipadar junction railway overbridge on National Highway-16, close to Gosani Nuagaon under Berhampur limits, when a speeding truck veered into the wrong lane and rammed into three motorcycles, dragging them for several metres.

All five victims died on the spot.

The local police arrested the truck driver, who reportedly admitted that he lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake at high speed. Preliminary investigation suggests rash and negligent driving as the primary cause of the accident.

The deceased were identified as Rakesh Nahak (21) and Jagan Nahak (20) of Phulta village, Suryanarayan Panda (42), a courier delivery executive from Ayodhyanagar, Shivaram Jena (43) of Dakshinpur village, a veterinary doctor, and Satyanath Bej (23) of Khariaguda, an attendant with a mobile veterinary van.

According to eyewitnesses, the victims were riding their motorcycles separately and heading towards their respective destinations around 12.30 pm, when the truck suddenly swerved from the left side to the right lane at high speed and struck the bikes from behind.

“The truck came on the wrong side and crushed the motorcycles one after another,” said a local resident who witnessed the accident.

Local residents raised concerns over the structural design of the railway overbridge, constructed in 2014 by the Works Department, alleging that design flaws and poor visibility have led to frequent accidents at the location.

The incident has cast a shadow over the month-long road safety awareness campaign conducted by the State Transport Department from January 1 to 31 through meetings, outreach programmes and public awareness videos.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. He announced an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.