12 injured as speeding bus overturns

March 26th, 2007

Kolkata: Reckless driving killed one and left 12 injured on Sunday morning. Three of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

The first accident happened around 7.45 am, in front of Birla Planetarium when a minibus, rushing madly to overtake another, skidded and fell sideways. Police said that two Naktala-Howrah route minibuses were speeding towards Dharmatala. As one took a sharp turn in front of Birla Planetarium, its driver lost control and the bus flipped over sideways.

Thirtyfive-year-old Rajanikant Mohta’s right leg was trapped under the bus. He was badly injured and was admitted to SSKM hospital in critical condition.

There were around 15 passengers inside the bus, eight were injured. The bus driver fled.

The second accident took place at Tiljala around 10.30 am. A speeding motorcycle collided head-on with a Matador van near the Basanti Expressway and EM Bypass crossing, leading to the death of the bike rider. Two other pillion riders were hospitalised. “The three youths, riding the motorcycle, were on their way to a soccer match at Choubaga. Driving at high speed they took a sharp turn, to be knocked down by the matador coming from the opposite direction,” said Mohmmad Mushtaque, a local resident.

The Matador driver tried his best to avoid collision but he failed.

The 23-year-old motorcycle driver, Ganesh Munda, died on the spot. He was a resident of Kacharipara, Dhapa. The injured pillion riders were identified as Laltu Das(22) of Mathurbabu Lane and Suresh. Laltu is now admitted to Chittaranjan National Medical College and Hospital while Suresh was taken to a private hospital. The driver of the matador van was also injured and is under treatment.

It is illegal for three persons to ride on a motorbike.

While locals alleged that there was no police personnel to man the traffic at the spot, police blamed it on reckless driving.
In an accident in Bantala, South 24-Parganas, a 27-yearold man was crushed by a van on Sunday. Ganesh Mondol was on a bicycle when a speeding Matador knocked him down from behind and ran him over. He died on the spot. Three others were injured in the road accident.

Source: TOI(Kolkata-epaper)

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