Tragedy struck near Hubballi on January 6, as four individuals standing by the roadside after an earlier accident lost their lives when a truck ran over them. The incident occurred on the Pune-Bengaluru national highway at Belligatti in Kundagol taluk, Dharwad district, Karnataka. In total, five people sustained injuries in the two accidents.
The victims have been identified as Manikanth (26), Chandan (31), Pawan (23) from Arakalgud in Hassan district, and Harishkumar (34) from Bengaluru.
According to the Superintendent of Police, who visited the scene, one car, on its way to Goa from Arakalgud in Hassan district, collided with another car heading from Bengaluru to Shirdi near Belligatti around 4:30 a.m. One of the cars was parked by the roadside and was struck from behind by the other. Nine individuals were travelling in the two cars, and four of them sustained injuries.
After transporting the injured to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi, the remaining five individuals were reportedly standing by the roadside when a truck collided with one of the cars, resulting in a tragic accident that claimed four lives on the spot. Another person sustained injuries and was promptly shifted to the hospital.
Poor visibility caused by fog is believed to be a contributing factor to the accidents. District in-charge minister Santosh Lad visited KIMS Hospital to inquire about the health of the injured.
Kundagol police have registered a case, and the driver of the truck has been taken into custody as part of the ongoing investigation into the unfortunate incidents. Authorities are working diligently to understand the circumstances leading to this devastating sequence of events.
