Gumla: A brief stop at a shopping mall to collect a wedding present turned fatal for three siblings in Lohardaga district after they were crushed to death by a speeding truck late on Friday. A man and his two sisters had stepped out of the mall after buying a present and were about to ride to a wedding on their scooter when the truck, coming from the opposite direction, ran over them.
The deceased were identified as Rohit Kumar Sahu, 25, and his sisters Sapna, 22, and Srishti, 17. They were residents of Barwatoli locality. While Sapna and Srishti were killed on the spot, Rohit died while being taken to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) in Ranchi. The truck driver fled from the spot, while police seized the vehicle.
Locals told the police that Sapna got married recently, and Rohit’s wedding had been fixed. The deaths sparked road safety concerns again. Lohardaga SP, Sadique Anwar Rizwi, said, “We are exploring what can be done to prevent the recurrence of such accidents in the area and elsewhere in the township. The town has a single road used by both commuters and heavy vehicles.” He added, “On weekly market days — Monday and Friday — entry of heavy vehicles is banned in the town.”
On installing permanent speed-control measures, the SP said, “It is possible, but the decision lies with the road construction department.” Kunal Abhishek, a member of the district road safety committee, said trucks laden with bauxite speed through the town to unload and return to mines in Netarhat plateau as soon as no entry restriction on heavy vehicles is lifted at 7 pm. “Over 150 people died in road accidents in Lohardaga in the past one and a half years. There must be fixed speed limits in the town and other public places. Companies must ensure bauxite-laden trucks have radium strips on the rear. Only helmet and document checks will not solve the problem,” he said.
Stay updated with the latest Ranchi news. Download the TOI App. About the Author: K A Gupta covers Gumla, Lohardaga and Simdega districts in Jharkhand. He writes on wide ranging topics ranging from social issues, to human interest, naxals, and sports.
