Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Feb 23: A pickup vehicle rammed into the rear of a car, causing the car to lose control and hit pedestrians on the roadside, resulting in the death of the nephew of Sindhanur MLA on the spot. The incident occurred on Saturday in Kulai, on the outskirts of Mangaluru.

The deceased has been identified as Deepu Gowda alias Pompa Gowda (48), a native of Sindhanur in Raichur district. He was the son of the sister of Sindhanur MLA Hampanagowda Badarli. Two others, Pradeep and Nagaraj, sustained injuries and have been admitted to a private hospital in the city.

Details of the incident

Three friends had parked their car on the roadside near Kulai in Baikampady and went to a nearby hotel for lunch. Around 2:45 pm, after crossing the highway and walking on the roadside, a pickup vehicle coming from Udupi towards Mangaluru collided with the rear of the parked car. Due to the impact, the car lost control, veered to the left, ran over the three pedestrians, and finally crashed into a stationary lorry.

Trapped between the lorry and the car

The force of the collision threw Pradeep and Nagaraj onto the road, causing serious injuries. Deepu Gowda, however, was pushed along with the car and slammed into the rear of the lorry, sustaining severe head and abdominal injuries. All four were immediately shifted to a private hospital in Mangaluru, where doctors confirmed that Deepu Gowda had succumbed to his injuries. Nagaraj suffered a hip injury and is undergoing treatment. A case has been registered at Mangaluru North Traffic Police Station.

Pickup driver’s negligence

Eyewitnesses reported that the accident was caused by the excessive speed and negligent driving of the pickup vehicle driven by Sukumar on the Udupi-Mangaluru road. Due to the driver's carelessness, the pickup crashed into the car. The victims were friends who had come to Mangaluru for business-related work.