In a tragic incident, at least one person was dead and six were injured when a speeding truck collided with two car and five bikes near Khaira bridge in Jagatpur, Cuttack on Saturday evening.
The deceased has been identified as fruits vendor Subash Sahoo.
The injured have been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in critical condition.
As per reports, the driver lost its balance and the heavy vehicle jumped to the wrong side of the road ramming a fruit stall in the process. At least two cars and five bikes were completely damaged by the truck.
“I was going to Kendrapara from Bhubaneswar on my motorcycle. I stopped midway to buy some fruits from a stall. I was asking the vendor about the price of some fruits when I saw the speeding truck losing its balance and ramming into a fruit stall,” said an eyewitness.
“The motorcycle I had parked near the stall has been damaged completely. I was standing near the stall which was rammed by a heavy speeding vehicle. Fortunately, my life is saved. I have got a minor injury,” he added.
Locals blamed traffic mismanagement for the tragic accident.
“Both sides of the road have been encroached by fruit stalls. This kind of accidents could have been avoided with proper traffic management. The truck was coming at a very high speed which is beyond the permissible limit. A proper investigation should be launched to find the exact reason of the accident and whether the driver was drunk or not,” said another eyewitness.