5 youths killed as car jumps median, crashes into bus on Bengaluru-Tumakuru

Bengaluru: In a tragic road accident on the Bengaluru-Tumakuru national highway, five young men were killed after their car jumped the road median and rammed into a KSRTC bus heading towards Hubballi, officials said. 

The horrific collision occurred around 11.30 pm on Saturday on the Chikkabidarakallu flyover, right opposite the Canara Bank near Jindal City. 

The car - a Tata Indica (KA 02 MA 884) carrying five friends - was coming into Bengaluru when the driver allegedly lost control. Police believe the vehicle was being driven at high speed, causing it to leap over the road divider and crash head-on into the oncoming bus. 

The impact was so severe that the car was reduced to a mangled heap of metal. 

Kemparaj, the driver of the KSRTC bus (KA 06 F 1224), said: “I was driving toward Hubballi with 55 passengers when this car suddenly flew over the divider from the opposite side and hit us. The sound was deafening, and glass pieces flew everywhere, hitting me as well. It happened in a split second.” 

Fortunately, while the bus sustained significant damage, all 55 passengers on board escaped without major injuries. 

Police said the four victims were residents of Doddaballapur. They are Harshith (20), a second-year BCom student at Sai Vidya First Grade College, Rajanukunte; Lalit Kumar (20), a resident of Gangadharapura Layout; Keshav (19) and Durga Prasad (20), both from Kallupete, and Dhanush. 

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Karthik Reddy said: “While travelling from the Nelamangala side, the car reportedly climbed the flyover ramp, crossed the divider, and crashed head-on into a KSRTC bus heading towards Nelamangala. All five deceased individuals were young men aged between 17 and 24 years. It has been identified that a person named Keshav was driving the vehicle. We are currently investigating the cause of the accident. We have also collected blood samples to be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory to determine if they were driving under the influence of alcohol.” 

He added that some passengers in the bus sustained minor injuries and received treatment at a local hospital. 

“We are investigating the background of the individuals, including whether they had any prior criminal records,” he said. 

Kumar worked as a CCTV camera operator. His mother, Rupa, a schoolteacher, recounted her last conversation with her son.

“He left home in the morning after breakfast, saying he was going to a temple with friends. I called him around 8.45 pm, and he said they were on their way back. We had no idea who owned the car,” she said. 

D L Nagesh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest), reached the spot shortly after the accident to oversee rescue operations. 

“Primary information suggests the car crossed the median and collided with the bus coming from the Bengaluru side. Four persons died on the spot, and one injured individual has been shifted for emergency treatment,” the DCP stated. 

While speeding is suspected to be the primary cause, Madanayakanahalli police are investigating whether rash driving or a mechanical failure led to the car losing control. 

A KSRTC official said the bus belonged to the Tumakuru depot and was operating from Bengaluru to Hubballi. Senior officials from the KSRTC’s Kempegowda Bus Station division visited the accident scene and conducted inspections. 

Highlights - Victims aged between 17 and 24; Speed primary cause