Three MBBS students were killed on the spot while one sustained grievous injuries when the car they were travelling in collided with a parked truck in Devanahalli in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Prajwal (20), Vishal (20) and Bhushan (20), all pursuing second-year MBBS at the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS).
Prajwal was a native of Tumakuru, Vishal was from Doddabelavangala and Bhushan was a native of Vijayapura.
The injured, Krishna Raj (24), is a final year MBBS student. On Tuesday midnight, Raj was taking the three in his sedan to his village in Venkatagiri Kota in Chikkaballapur, police said. The accident occurred around 1.50 am near the Sanna Amanikere level crossing when the four were on their way from the city towards Devanahalli.
Raj, who was overspeeding his Chevrolet Cruze, failed to notice a parked truck loaded with iron rods. The truck did not have its blinkers on.
The car collided with the rear end of the truck. The iron rods protruding from the truck pierced through the car, killing the three instantly. The severed head of one of the victims was tossed out of the car.
Raj escaped with injuries, but remained stuck inside the car. The police reached the spot around 2.10 am and extricated him and the bodies. Raj was initially taken to M S Ramaiah Hospital after which he was shifted to another hospital. By then, the truck driver had abandoned his vehicle and fled.
Devanahalli traffic police have registered a case of rash and negligent driving causing accidental death and booked both the truck driver and Raj culpable for the accident. “We have booked both the drivers for criminal negligence leading to the death of three students,” said a police officer.
The police have informed the victims’ family. Vishal’s father is a jeweller in Belavangala while Prajwal’s father is a government official in Tumakuru. Bhushan’s father is a manager at a private firm in Dodaballapur.