Bhubaneswar: The toll in last evening’s series accident near Press Chhak, close to Sainik School in Bhubaneswar, rose to three after another critically injured victim succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.
Among those killed is the husband of an IAS officer.
The tragic chain-reaction accident occurred around 8.30 pm along Press Chowk–Railway Stadium road in Gajapati Nagar under Maitree Vihar police limits when a speeding EV car rammed into multiple vehicles – an auto‑rickshaw, a car and two motorcycles – before plowing into pedestrians standing at a tea stall. The injured were first taken to a private hospital and later shifted to Capital Hospital. While two among them were declared dead on arrival, another succumbed to injures while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
The deceased have been identified as Santosh Behera, an electrician, Jerome Ekka, husband of a senior government official, and Lakshmidhar Toppo. Four other individuals, who sustained injuries in the pile-up, are currently receiving medical treatment.
Meanwhile, driver of the SUV, Anil Gouda, a resident of Gangapur in Ganjam district, who had fled the scene soon after the accident, surrendered before Maitree Vihar police late last night. While the driver claimed that he lost control of the vehicle after experiencing a sudden bout of severe coughing, police confirmed that he was not driving under the influence of alcohol. The vehicle, which was badly damaged in the accident, was earlier seized.
