A cyclist was killed after he was hit by a speeding SUV near Kodigehalli on Kempegowda International Airport Road on Sunday morning, drawing the ire of cyclists in the city. The deceased has been identified as Nagaraj, 47, a resident of Begur, Yelahanka, who ran a private business.
Nagaraj had been to Hebbal and was on the way back to attend a housewarming ceremony in Yelahanka when the SUV rammed into his cycle from behind around 7 a.m. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet and suffered severe head injuries. Though he was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital, he was declared “brought dead” at the hospital. Hebbal Traffic Police have registered a case against the SUV driver for causing death due to rash and negligent driving and arrested him.
Between 2019-2021, 28 cyclists were killed in road accidents on the city streets, and as many as 110 cyclists were injured. Bicycle mayor of the city Sathya Sankaran said the government was to blame for accidents involving cyclists.
“For instance, there is a ten-lane highway available below the expressway, where a cycle lane could have been easily provided. But since that is not provided, the cyclist, in this case, has gone on the flyover. There is a need to segregate fast-moving and slow-moving traffic, especially non-motorised traffic,” Mr. Sankaran said.
