Speeding SUV kills 50-year-old man & his grandson; best friend critical in Odisha's Boudh

A speeding Bolero SUV killed two and critically injured a 60-year-old man in Boudh district after colliding with their moped late Tuesday night. The victims, identified as 12-year-old Omkar Sethy and 50-year-old Bighneshwar Mahar, were returning from a wedding feast when the crash occurred near Khajuripada Square.

According to reports, the deceased, Bighneshwar Mahar, a resident of Shyamsundarpur village under the Biranarasinghpur panchayat in Boudh, had gone to Karunapali village in Boudh’s Bamanda panchayat along with his friend Himanshu Sethy to attend the wedding feast.

During their return journey, his grandson Omkar insisted on accompanying them home, so they took him along. However, a Bolero SUV, allegedly driving at high speed, rammed into the vehicle from behind, causing severe injuries to all three.

Locals rushed the victims to Boudh District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared Omkar and Bighneshwar dead on arrival. Himanshu, critically injured, was transferred to Burla Medical College for advanced care. Sources also added that Bighneshwar was a close friend of the Sethy family. As such, the incident had cast a pall of gloom to descend on the families.

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Meanwhile, police stated the accident site investigation is ongoing, with efforts to identify the Bolero driver, who fled the scene. Further, they urged witnesses to come forward as they analyze evidence and traffic camera footage. However, no additional comments from the authorities on this matter could be obtained so far.