PONDA: Stray cattle caused the death of a motor-cycle rider at Usgao road on Monday morning. It incident happened at the Usgao road when the biker lost his life after a cow suddenly crossed his path. Ponda police stated that Sanjay Pednekar, 52 from Pernem and presently residing at Khandepar lost control of his vehicle and collided against the animal and was flung metres away.
Motorists who witnessed the accident rushed him to the Pilem Dharbandora Hospital where Pednekar succumbed to his injuries.
It may be recalled that a pedestrian had died after being knocked down by a truck a few days ago. Meanwhile there has been no let-up in fatalities in Ponda which is evident from the fact that seven people have been reported dead in various accidents within a month.
Locals expressed concern over stray cattle frequenting the roads contributing to accidents and demanded that some non functional streetlights on Highway be illuminated as cattle squat in the middle of the roads at nights posing danger to motorists.
Vinod Naik, a local stated three accidents were reported on Farmagudi-Dhavlim Highway due to stray cattle from Thursday to Saturday.
On Saturday, a car was damaged after it rammed into a tempo ahead of it which applied breaks to save cattle crossing the road.
Earlier four bovines were killed and one was injured at Dhavlim Junction after being knocked down by vehicles.
Goa Road Safety Forum Convenor Dilip Naik said that the issue of stray cattle
was constantly debated at gram sabhas and demanded that cattle pounds or goushalas be set up in North and South Goa to solve the problem.
