A major road accident involving three vehicles on the busy Karkala-Padubidri State Highway in Karnataka's Udupi district resulted in injuries to multiple people and significant property damage, including the destruction of a large shipment of chicken eggs. The incident, which occurred near the Nitte panchayat office, has once again highlighted concerns over rash driving on state highways.
Sequence of the Collision
The chain of events began early on Monday morning. Complainant Manjegowda, a 56-year-old resident of Hassan, was transporting approximately 80,000 chicken eggs from Davanagere to Mangaluru in his truck. After halting for the night at Thirthahalli, he resumed his journey at 5 am.
As per the complaint filed at the Karkala Rural police station, a car allegedly driven by Shivananda Shetty was coming from the Padubidri side towards Karkala at high speed. The car, moving in a rash and negligent manner, swerved to the extreme right side of the road and collided head-on with Manjegowda's truck.
Impact and Secondary Crash
The force of the impact was severe enough to cause the loaded truck to overturn. In a tragic turn, the overturned vehicle hit a pedestrian, Sunil Kumar, who was walking along the roadside. Kumar sustained a bleeding injury to his left leg.
Simultaneously, a third vehicle, which was travelling from Karkala towards Padubidri behind the truck, took evasive action to avoid the pile-up. This car swerved to the extreme left and crashed into a cement structure on the roadside, adding to the scale of the accident.
Aftermath and Damage Assessment
The consequences of the three-vehicle collision were substantial:
- All three vehicles involved suffered significant damage.
- Truck driver Manjegowda sustained minor injuries.
- The truck's cleaner, Gautam, suffered a bleeding injury to his left hand.
- Pedestrian Sunil Kumar was injured on his leg.
- The entire consignment of 80,000 eggs being transported was destroyed.
Following the incident, the Karkala Rural police have registered a case and are investigating the exact circumstances. The accident has drawn attention to the need for stricter adherence to speed limits and safe driving practices on State Highway 1, a crucial route in the region.
