Team Herald
PONDA: Three cows and a calf were mowed down by a speeding vehicle at the highly accident-prone area of Khursakade, Usgao on Wednesday morning.
The dead animals were lying along the Ponda- Belgavi Highway early in the morning as activists rue the lack of organised system to rescue and care for stray cattle in the area. Eyewitnesses reported that the driver fled the scene following the collision fearing public wrath.
Accidents involving vehicles and cattle have become alarmingly frequent on this highway. There has been a noticeable rise in incidents of cattle being hit by unidentified vehicles at night, and many bikers have suffered injuries from collisions with cattle on the road. In response, locals are advocating for the relocation of stray cattle to gaushalas for their safety.
It may be recalled that just few days ago, a bike rider had tragically lost his life at the same spot and locals have demanded that the authorities address the dangerous sharp turn where the four-lane highway meets a narrow road, an area notorious for poor visibility due to the bend.
Sandeep Parkar, a concerned resident, emphasised that the merging of the four-lane highway with the narrow Usgao road at the sharp turn creates significant visibility issues. Vehicles approaching from the narrow road towards Khandepar are unable to see oncoming traffic due to the bend, leading to confusion and accidents.
Parkar pointed out that four people have previously lost their lives at this location, and now four cattle have also perished.
He stated that he had spoken with officials from the National Highways Authority, who assured him that they would consider widening the sharp turn to enhance visibility and prevent further head-on collisions.
The most recent fatal accident was reported on October 8, when a bike rider collided with a car and was tragically thrown into the air, resulting in a fatal impact with the road. Prior to this incident, three fatalities had been reported, along with quite a few minor accidents taking place regularly.