Vinod M Jain
In a tragic incident,a 26-year-old techie died on the spot after falling under a lorry when the motorbike she was riding pillion on skidded while trying to avoid a pothole in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The deceased,identified as Priyanka,was travelling with her brother, who was riding the bike. The incident took place near APMC on Madanayakanahalli–Huskur Road in Bengaluru Rural district around 9:30 am.
Senior officer visited the spot and took the stock of the situation and told reporters that Priyanka was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Her brother escaped with minor injuries as he was wearing one.The road was reportedly damaged due to ongoing construction work in the area.
The incident occurred when Priyanka and her brother were heading towards their destination from home.
While attempting to steer clear of a pothole,her brother reportedly lost control of the bike,causing both to be thrown off.Priyanka fell onto the road and was run over by a passing lorry.
Eyewitnesses described the horrifying moment when the vehicle lost control,resulting in the young woman being crushed.
Madanayakanahalli Police have visited the accident site and registered a case.The body has been shifted to Nelamangala Government Hospital for post-mortem.
Priyanka’s brother was riding the bike while she was the pillion rider.He was wearing a helmet.Soon after they left home and were heading to their destination,he tried to avoid a bad patch of road.
Both of them fell off the bike,the rider escaped as he had a helmet on,but Priyanka,who wasn’t wearing one,was run over by a lorry and died on the spot.”
This tragic event highlights the urgent need for better road maintenance and public safety measures in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru has been facing backlash over bad roads and crumbling infrastructure in recent times.Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed officials to fill all potholes and set a deadline of October 31 for repairs across the city’s five corporation zones.
However, the deadline is likely to be extended to November 7,as officials struggle to keep up with the heavy rain.
Senior officials from the Urban Development Department, which works closely with the Greater Bengaluru Authority, said that of the 1,600 arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city, the white-topping project aimed at reducing potholes will now be pushed faster.
The opposition leaders took their cue from earlier reports and highlighted the recurring fatalities caused by the city’s deteriorating road infrastructure.They have squarely blamed Deputy Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar, who has often deflected criticism by claiming that “only Bengaluru’s potholes are highlighted”, while other cities have worse road conditions than the IT capital.
The Leader of the Opposition,R.Ashoka,took to X to criticise the government, holding Mr. Shivakumar personally responsible for the repeated pothole-related deaths.
“A woman lost her life today near Huskur APMC after her two-wheeler skidded while trying to avoid a pothole. How many more innocent lives must be lost because of your government’s negligence and incompetence, Mr. D.K. Shivakumar?” Mr. Ashoka wrote.
