A tragic road accident near Bengaluru on Saturday claimed the lives of six members of a family, sparking a debate about the effectiveness of safer cars on unsafe roads. The family was traveling in a Volvo SUV when a container truck overturned, crushing the vehicle and leaving no one alive.
The accident took place on National Highway 48 near Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
A preliminary police investigation has pieced together the events leading up to the tragic accident that killed six people. An Eicher truck loaded with aluminum poles weighing several tonnes was heading towards Bengaluru when the driver lost control while trying to avoid colliding with another vehicle.
Traveling at high speed, the truck overturned, crossed the median, and overturned a Volvo car heading towards Tumakuru. The impact was devastating, causing severe damage to the Volvo and resulting in fatalities. The truck also hit a tempo before stopping, but the tempo sustained minor damage.
The horrific moment when the truck crushed the Volvo was captured on a nearby CCTV camera. Police are analyzing the footage as part of their ongoing investigation into the incident.
The victims of the tragic accident have been identified as Chandrayagappa Goul (48), his wife Gaurabai (42), and their relatives Vijayalakshmi (36), John (16), Deeksha (12) and Arya (6). The family was going to Vijayapura at the time of the incident.
Chandram Yegapagol, CEO and Managing Director of IAST Software Solutions, was a well-known figure in Bengaluru’s tech industry. A resident of HSR Layout, he originally hailed from Morbagi village in Sangli district of Maharashtra.
Yegapagol had an impressive educational background, having done a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from GPT Gulbarga, a Bachelor of Engineering in the same field from the prestigious National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Suratkal, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Eyewitnesses said that the truck driver Arif suddenly lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a car coming in front of him. The truck then jumped the divider and collided with the Volvo SUV.
The family was on their way to Vijayapura when the accident took place. According to a police official, the truck fell on the car, which was badly crushed and the bodies of the victims were dismembered.
The accident has sparked a fierce debate on social media about road safety, with many users stressing that even the safest vehicles cannot prevent deaths if other drivers behave recklessly.
DriveSmart, a social media account dedicated to promoting road safety, shared disturbing images from the accident scene where a Volvo SUV was crushed by a container truck, resulting in the death of six people.
X-Handle issued a stern warning saying, “This image is a reminder that being safe on the road is not achieved by a safe car alone. Safe roads + safe driver + safe car –> all three are essential to safety.” (sic.)”
In response to the post, some users pointed out that while Volvo is known for producing safe vehicles, no car can withstand the sheer force of an aluminum-laden container truck.
Others tagged Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging the government to implement stricter rules and regulations to improve road safety, stressing the need for stronger measures to prevent such fatal accidents in future. .
During a recent road safety debate in Parliament, Union Minister Gadkari admitted that the number of accidents has increased significantly. “Forget about reducing the number of accidents, I have no hesitation in admitting that it has increased. This is one area where our department has not achieved success,” Gadkari said during the winter session of Parliament. .”
He also expressed disappointment over the lack of fear of the law despite the high number of deaths in road accidents. “Some don’t wear helmets, some jump red signals,” he said during the question period, describing the “strange” situation.
The Union Minister highlighted that improper parking of trucks on roads is a significant contributor to accidents, noting that many trucks fail to follow lane discipline.
More than 1.78 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents in India last year, with an average of 470 deaths every day, government data shows. Majority of the victims are in the age group of 18-34 years.
