Bhubaneswar: A head-on collision between a car and an autorickshaw near Khandahata bridge under Angul Sadar police limits in Odisha on Saturday claimed three lives and left as many critically injured.
The deceased have been identified as Banshidhara Sethi, his wife Kamala Sethi, and the autorickshaw driver Mantu Muduli.
According to sources, both the vehicles veered off the road and plunged into farmland following the collision. The auto was smashed under the car, trapping the victims. Fire Service personnel and Angul Sadar Police reached the spot and the injured were immediately rushed to Angul district headquarters hospital (DHH).
Sources further stated that Banshidhara, a resident of Karanda area, had travelled to DDH along with his wife, daughter-in-law Sunita Sethi, and grandson Shree Sai after he felt uneasy earlier in the day. They then went to Turang village, the parental home of Sunita, for lunch. The accident took place when they were returning home. The car was coming from Narasinghpur.
Besides Sunita and her son Shree Sai, the owner of the car who was travelling in the vehicle was also injured in the crash. The driver, however, fled the scene. The car owner told the media that he was fast asleep when the accident took place.