64-year-old man run over at Jayanagar TTMC; 3rd fatal BMTC bus crash in 8 days

Bengaluru: A 64-year-old man died while trying to board a moving BMTC bus at the Jayanagar TTMC in southern Bengaluru on Wednesday morning, officials said. 

This was the third fatal accident involving BMTC buses this month. 

The deceased was identified as Sampangi, a daily wage worker from KR Market. He is survived by his wife and three children. 

The police said the driver — Madhwaraj, 46 — did not notice Sampangi trying to board the bus from the front door and had switched it off. 

Sampangi's hand got stuck between the door slides, and he fell down. The bus ran him over, and he died on the spot, the police added. 

A senior BMTC official said that the driver had already closed the central sliding door as the bus departed from the TTMC. 

"The driver was about to close the front door, too, when the deceased suddenly came in the opposite direction. The driver did not notice this," the official told DH. 

According to the official, drivers are usually trained to focus on the front right-side during the journey. 

The BMTC will pay Sampangi's family a compensation of Rs 1 lakh, he added. 

The driver may be suspended for six months, if a preliminary inquiry finds that he was negligent. During suspension, he will receive 50% of his gross pay as subsistence allowance. He may also face a departmental inquiry, resulting in him losing up to three increments or being dismissed from service, the official explained. 

3rd fatal BMTC bus crash in 8 days

A senior BMTC official conceded that buses were involved in three fatal accidents in the past week, but maintained that drivers did not appear to be at fault in any. 

On August 13, a two-wheeler rider died after coming under the front wheels of a BMTC bus on Hosur Main Road in Roopena Agrahara. 

A BMTC official said the victim had tried to overtake the bus from the left, but was struck by an oncoming car. He fell down and came under the bus. 

On August 19, a 37-year-old scooter rider died while trying to overtake a BMTC bus in Sadashivanagar, but was struck by an oncoming car. "Our bus was on the left lane and was going slow," he stated.