Post News Network
Nayagarh, August 26: Four persons were killed and one was injured seriously, when a Tata ACE collided head on with an autorickshaw they were travelling in at Sampada under Nuapada police station in the district Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Dutika Muduli (45), wife of Antaryami Muduli; Kama Muduli (45), wife of Natabar Muduli; their daughter Lalita (15) of Adapada village and vehicle driver Ranjan Kumar Pradhan alias Rabi (37)
of Khalamada. The victims had gone to Khalamada to visit a relative’s place. They hired an autorickshaw of Ranjan to return home
in Adapada. According to eye-witnesses, the autorickshaw and the Tata ACE collided head-on near Sampada school on Khurda-Bolangir National Highway killing Kama on the spot.
On being informed, fire brigade personnel reached the spot and rushed the four others to a hospital in a critical condition. Dutika, Ranjan and Lalita died in the hospital while undergoing treatment. Driver of the Tata-ACE fled the scene after the accident.
A Santro car moving on the same road met with an accident after the driver applied sudden brakes as the collision of auto-rickshaw and the Tata ACE had blocked the road. The car overturned, while its driver Som Prasad Sharma and owner Shankarlal Agrawal sustained critical injuries. However, other two persons sitting inside the vehicle escaped unhurt.
The incident triggered a wave of mourning on the hospital premises after the relatives of the deceased reached there.
Nuagaon police reached the place and seized the vehicles. A case was registered in this connection.
Irate residents blocked the NH after the incidents.
Bodies will be handed over to families after the post-mortem Thursday, police said.