BBMP garbage truck mows down 8-yr-old boy on Thanisandra Main Road in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The gruesome crash on Thanisandra Main Road that killed an eight-year-old boy has stoked the ire of local residents, who thrashed the BBMP garbage truck driver and set the truck on fire on Saturday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 12 pm, when eight-year-old Ayman was riding pillion on his father Abdul Khader's bike, from their home in Saraipalya to a madrasa in Hegde Nagar, reportedly for the former's admission.

However, a speeding BBMP garbage truck crashed into their bike from behind near the railway crossing, causing both of them to fall off. The truck ran over the boy, killing him on the spot.

Residents reportedly dragged the driver out and beat him up till he was unconscious, before pouring petrol on the front of the truck and setting it on fire. They protested against his negligence, and alleged that he was drunk at the wheel. However, Hennur traffic police, who attended to the scene of the road crash, denied this allegation.

"The driver was not found to be drunk via our alcometer. We have, however, taken his blood samples and sent them for testing," said Siri Gowri, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic, North).

Firefighters rushed to the spot to douse the flames, after the police arrived to take stock of the situation.

Abdul was also injured due to the crash. Both Abdul and the truck driver were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Siri observed that local residents were enraged because this was the second such incident in less than three months. "It is a dangerous stretch of road. About two months ago, two sisters were killed when a truck crashed into them near the same spot, which is where auto tippers bring collected waste for the trucks to then take to the dumping yards," she told DH.

She confirmed that the driver was not drunk. "Yes, many garbage truck drivers are found drunk, but this was not the case this time," she said.

Similar incidents in the past

- January 4, 2025: Two sisters on a scooter were mowed down by a BBMP garbage truck on Thanisandra Main Road.

- July 28, 2024: Two techies hit, run over and dragged by a speeding BBMP garbage truck for a few metres near KR Circle.

- April 8, 2024: Five techies in a car crash into a parked BBMP garbage truck, at least two killed, near Balagere.

- July 17, 2023: 61-year-old pedestrian run over by a BBMP garbage truck on Nrupathunga Road.

- November 28, 2022: Two men on a bike mowed down by a BBMP garbage truck near Hulikunte Cross, near Doddaballapura