Two people were killed and four others injured, when a SUV lost control and ran over them at the busy court complex junction on Nrupatunga Road on Monday.
The SUV sported a pass with the name of Hartalu Halappa, BJP MLA, but the MLA was not in the vehicle during the time of the accident. It was later revealed that the car was registered in the name of Mr. Halappa’s in-laws and was using the pass to get some MLA privileges.
The driver of the SUV, later identified as Mohan, 48, resident of Yelahanka, told the police that he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, to stop before the signal, and lost control and collided with a series of vehicles.
Owing to the impact, two scooter riders came under the wheels of the car. While one was crushed to death on the spot, the other sustained multiple injuries and later died.
The deceased have been identified as Majeed Khan, 36, an automobile spare parts dealer and a resident of H.B.R. Layout, and Ayyappa, 60, a parking lot manager and resident of K.G. Hall.
Four others were injured in the accident and they have been identified as Riyaz Pasha, Mohammed K. Riyaz, Mohammed Saleem, and Sher Gilani. They are being treated at private hospitals.
As many as two cars and three bikes were damaged, a police officer, part of the inspection team, said.
The SUV sporting a pass with the name of Hartalu Halappa, BJP MLA.
Traffic movement on the busy road was disrupted for sometime when people rushed to the accident spot to have a look , while the traffic police struggled to contain the situation and shift the victims to the hospital and took the driver into custody and seized the car. People started accusing the driver of driving under the influence of alcohol and were infuriated after noticing apass in the name of the MLA.
“I was coming out of the court complex and saw the car zoom past me and hit a series of vehicles and crushed two people under its wheels. It was like a movie scene and very shocking”, Ramesh Kumar, a businessman at Chickpet said . “People around took a few seconds to realize what had happened if the SUV had moved a few inches more , it would have caused even more casulties as many vehicles were waiting at the signal,” he added.
Inquiries have now established that the car is registered in the name of Ramu Suresh, a retired forest officer and a resident of Yelahanka. The driver was heading to fetch Mr. Halappa’s daughter from KIMS college where she is pursuing her MD, a police officer said . Mohan was in a hurry to reach the college on time, when the accident occurred, police said.
Mohan has been booked for causing death due to negligence and for rash and negligent driving . He was subjected to medical examination and found he was not drunk, the police said.
Published - February 06, 2023 08:52 pm IST
