As many as six people, including a baby, died on the spot after the car they were travelling in met with an accident near Echanahalli on NH 75 on the outskirts of Hassan early on Sunday.
Members of a family were returning to their village in Chikkaballapur after a visit to a hospital in Mangaluru, when their vehicle hit a truck. As the driver lost control over the vehicle, it jumped off the road divider and hit the truck coming from the opposite side in the other lane.
The impact was severe, causing extensive damage to the car. The local people and travellers on the highway noticed the incident and informed the police. The Fire and Emergency Services staff were called into the vehicle to retrieve bodies from the mangled car.
The deceased have been identified as Narayana Swamy, 55, his wife Sunanda, 40, Sunanda’s sister Nethra, 30, Nethra’s husband Ravi Kumar, their son Chetan, 5, and driver Gunashekhar, 35. They had been to Mangaluru to consult a doctor, as Narayana Swamy had suffered a stroke recently. Narayana Swamy and Sunanda are residents of Karahalli in Devanahalli taluk, while Ravi Kumar and Nethra are residents of Andarahalli in Hoskote taluk. They had hired a car for the travel. Driver Gunashekhar is resident of Kondenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.
The dead bodies were shifted to the district hospital in Hassan. The police lifted the damaged car by tractor to the station. The police suspected that the driver was sleepy and lost control over the vehicle while driving at high speed.
Hundreds of people from neighbouring localities and villages rushed to the spot. The movement of traffic on the busy highway was also affected for some time.
Senior police officers reached the spot. Hassan Traffic Police have registered the case.
