Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 15: In an incident that happened on Friday February 14 at Jeppu Kudupady in the city, the wheels of a truck crushed a sleeping man to death. The incident occured in front of a firewood depot, and the victim has been identified as Sudhakar (55) from Hubballi.

Sudhakar was employed in the said firewood depot as a coolie. He used to sleep there at night after work. On Thursday night, Sudhakar and two other labourers had gone to sleep in the courtyard located opposite the firewood depot. At around 5.30 am on Friday, the other two had woken and left the place for morning ablutions. Even as Sudhakar continued to remain asleep, at around 5.45 am, the wheels of a moving tuck crushed Sudhakar, causing his instant death.

It is said that the driver of the truck had arrived there accidentally after losing the way. The truck, after reaching Hampankatta, was to move toward Neermarga but the driver took Jeppu Kudupady route by mistake. As he found that the road near Kudupady had been dug for underground drainage, he drove the truck through the vacant courtyard opposite the firewood depot without noticing that a person was sleeping there, it is said.

It is said that the driver of the truck that caused the death of Sudhakar had arrived there accidentally after losing the way. The lorry, after reaching Hampankatta, was to move towards Neermarga but the driver took Jeppu Kudupady route by mistake. As he found that the road near Kudupady had been dug for underground drainage, he drove the truck through the vacant courtyard opposite the firewood depot without noticing that a person was sleeping there, it is said.

Upon seeing that their colleague was killed by the lorry, the other two raised an alarm from some distance away. The driver then developed cold feet, abandoned the truck there, and took to his heels. The locals then informed the police. The police who arrived there found that the lorry involved in the accident was from Shivamogga and that after unloading the vegetables, it was to move towards Mallur via Neermarga and had taken the wrong road instead.

Policemen of traffic (east) station here, who have registered a case, said that this accident would not have happened if the contractors undertaking underground drainage work had installed boards warning vehicles not to enter this road. They said that prima facie the contractors mistake is obvious.