CALANGUTE: An unknown youth who was zooming on the internal roads of Calangute knocked down a woman pedestrian and three two-wheeler riders.
The youth who was wearing a kind of racer helmet and was riding a racer bike came from nowhere and surprised a woman walking along the road. On seeing the youth riding fast in her direction the woman lost her nerve and ran to the middle of the road only to be knocked down by the unknown youth.
The youth however did not wait even for a minute and fled from the scene. Three two-wheeler riders also collided with each other and fell, but luckily no one was injured nor were their bikes damaged. The riders also failed to note the number of the bike ridden by the unknown rider since the size of the numbers was very small.
“We have been witness to similar incidents many a times, but these have gone unreported. The riders, especially the youth in their 20s just speed away at breakneck speeds through the village or internal roads with their helmets on. We also get frightened due to the loud roar of the bikes which appear suddenly and tend to lose control of the bike which could pose danger to lives of others. The authorities should keep a check on speed, especially on the village roads, where people walk the streets to go shopping, etc. Accidents happen due to irresponsible driving or riding and the helmets or seat belts won’t be of any help” said Paul D’Souza, a Calangute resident.
“We see our cops issuing challans for riders – locals and tourists, for disobeying traffic rules but never is there a check on rash and negligent driving on village roads. Anyone going fast on highways or other roads is acceptable but same should not be allowed on village roads. We see the drivers of trucks and buses talking and chatting on mobiles while driving and even the two wheeler riders have been riding while talking on cell phones, but who is keeping a check on these violations? The authorities need to wake up and keep a check on rash and negligent driving rather than issuing challans for non wearing of helmets or seat belts which serve no purpose” Mandita Naik, another Calangute citizen said.
