BENGALURU: Tension prevailed on Wednesday night in Doddabelavangala in Nelamangala after a charcoal laden truck ran amok killing five people, including a 12-year-old girl, and leaving four others injured, when the driver lost control over the vehicle at Kaalimatha Cross. Angry villagers soon staged a protest at NH 207 and blocked the road.
Police said the incident took place around 8 pm, when the axle of an eight-wheeler truck broke and the driver lost control over the vehicle.
The truck, which was going towards Doddaballapura from Dabaspete, first rammed a tree and then crushed five pedestrians to death and injured four others, while some others managed to run to safety, a senior police officers said.
The police arrested the accused driver, Sathish Kumar, and seized the vehicle. Soon after the accident senior police officers rushed to the spot to pacify angry protesters, who were demanding a service road.
According to the police the deceased have been identified as Shanthmma, 40, Savitha, 36, Shashikala, 32, Suprtha, 19, Bhavanadium, 12. All were said to be residents of Chikkabelavagnala village. The accident happened while they were walking home after attending a wedding at Lakshmi Narasimhamurthy Kalyana Mantapa.
Investigations revealed that the truck descending a steep slope when its axle broke. Angry villagers assaulted the driver and handed him over to the police.
The Doddabelavangala police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to Nelamangala hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were sent to Doddaballapura for post-mortem.
Police said the stretch of road near the accident spot was being widened and it had affected the traffic flow. Doddabelavangala police have registered a case.
