KRISHNAGIRI: In a terrible tragedy, five people of a family were killed on the spot and another injured in a gory road mishap in Krishnagiri district that involved three vehicles including a Karnataka government transport bus, a container truck and a car in the early hours of Tuesday.
The gory multiple collision that claimed the lives of members of one family in the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway, took place when the Karnataka government bus from Bengaluru was heading towards Puducherry.
Investigations revealed that the accident occurred, allegedly due to the government bus crossing the center median of the NH here at Attakuriki and entering the lane meant for vehicles moving towards Bengaluru after its 53-year-old driver L. Siddhanaya had reportedly dozed off on the wheels.
The bus then smashed into a car in which six people were travelling to Bengaluru from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. Another vehicle, a container truck, was also involved in the mishap leading to multiple collisions at that place.
Police said five of the six victims in the car died on the spot and another person who was rescued alive, was admitted in a private hospital in Hosur of Krishnagiri district.
The mishap victims were identified as 43-year-old S. Anandan, his 32-year-old wife Sumathi, his 50-year-old elder
brother S. Sankar, their 51-year-old relative Kuberan, the latter’s 45-year-old wife Sumathi and 44-year-old car driver B. Mani, all residents of Lakshmi Narayanan Nagar in Bengaluru.
The tragedy struck the victims family when they were returning home
from Sivakasi after handing over the marriage invitation to their relatives for the marriage of Sankar’s daughter.
Anandan’s wife Sumathi, his elder brother Sankar, their relative Kuberan, his wife Sumathi and the car driver Mani died on the spot. Anandan, who was rescued alive, was first taken to the Hosur government hospital and then to a private hospital here.
The Shoolagiri police registered a case against the Karnataka government bus driver Siddhanaya, a resident of Shanthi Nagar in Bengaluru, for alleged negligence causing the accident.
Ten black spots on Chennai-B’luru National Highway: dt collector
The Krishnagiri collector Mr. C. Kathiravan on Tuesday reviewed the accident spot where five people were killed in a multiple collision triggered by a Karnataka government transport bus.
Later talking to reporters Kathiravan said, “around ten places over a 55-km stretch from Krishnagiri to Attibelle have been identified as ‘black spots’ on this road (Chennai-Bengaluru NH) where fatal accidents occur frequently.”
He added “soon the center median will be raised to the sufficient level at these places to prevent deaths due to accidents because of vehicles that jump the lane and enter the wrong direction.”
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) office in Krishnagiri have been asked to straighten the road curve in Attakurukki where five people have died in the early hours of Tuesday in the ghastly accident, he said.
Besides, the NHAI was asked to install speed monitoring devices and CCTV cameras to check for speeding vehicles. The driver, if caught for over speeding, will be fined. The driving license of such drivers will also be cancelled if he or she creates the accident due to over-speeding, he said.
