According to reports, Prisca Fernandes along with her cousin and two others were standing at the bus stop near the forest gate at Ordhofond-Bhatpal, when the truck loaded with forest produce knocked down Prisca, killing her on the spot.
Sources informed Herald that the two cousins, another woman and a boy were waiting for a bus to proceed towards Canacona when one truck stopped where their bus was scheduled to halt.
The driver got down and went towards the forest office to pay for a permit and at that time, another truck (KA-01-B-7322) was noticed speeding towards the left side of the stationary truck.
Her cousin, Larrisa Fernandes, who was also standing along with Prisca, said they had noticed the truck speeding towards them and they tried to run to safety. Prisca, however, slipped and fell down.
Larrisa almost had a brush with death, as one leg was slightly injured by the truck, but she was saved due to presence of mind of two others waiting for the bus.
Larrisa was grabbed by someone from behind and when she turned to give a hand to Prisca, the truck had already crushed Prisca.
The truck brushed past the roadside crash barriers and came to a halt about 200 metres away. The driver fled from the spot.
A large number of people gathered at the site and shifted the lifeless body of Prisca to the Canacona Community Health Centre, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. The body was later shifted to the mortuary at Margao.
It is learnt that the bereaved family is unwilling to claim the body till the Canacona police succeeds in arresting the truck driver.
