Drunk lorry driver mows down two-wheeler rider in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A drunk lorry driver ran over and killed a two-wheeler rider in Shettigere, northeastern Bengaluru, on Thursday, sparking a protest by enraged locals who demonstrated with the victim’s body on the road.

The police identified the deceased as 52-year-old Subramani, a local resident who worked as a farm labourer. The accident occurred on a stretch of road that lacks a median and is frequently used by taxis and private vehicles attempting to avoid the toll plaza while heading towards the Kempegowda International Airport, the police said.

"The concrete mixer driver was driving on the extreme right and crashed head-on into Subramani’s two-wheeler near a temple around 5.15 pm. Subramani fell off his vehicle and died on the spot. The lorry then hit a cab before crashing into a tree. The driver was apparently on his way to a concrete mixing plant nearby," said the Chikkajala traffic police inspector.

The 25-year-old lorry driver, a resident of Lingsugur, Raichur, was found to be intoxicated and was booked under BNS Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

4 fatalities this year

Local villagers gathered at the accident site and protested, alleging that poor traffic management by the police had contributed to the crash. They claimed that toll-evading vehicles frequently used the narrow road, leading to multiple accidents, including four fatalities this year.

As the crowd refused to disperse, the police resorted to lathicharge to restore order. The protest continued until a resolution was reached.