A tragic late-night road accident in Bengaluru killed one young man and injured five others in a TT vehicle as he tried to escape from a group of reckless bike riders jumping and wheeling on city streets when he crashed into an electric pole. The incident took place in Annapurneshwari Nagar.
According to initial accounts, a group of youths from Laggere were travelling in a Traveller vehicle late at night. The car was driven by a man named Ravi, who had around five to six passengers. As the vehicle passed by the Mahadeshwara temple in Annapurneshwari Nagar, a group of bikers jumped into the road and performed wheelies and dangerous stunts.
Witnesses reported that the stunt riders suddenly came in front of the Traveller vehicle, and the driver took evasive action. In order to avoid hitting the bikers, Ravi lost control of the vehicle, and the Traveller veered off the road and crashed into a roadside electric pole. There was a lot of damage to the vehicle due to the impact of the collision, and several people were trapped and injured.
The accident killed Manoj, one of the passengers in the vehicle. The other five people were seriously injured and had to be sent to a local private hospital for treatment. Some of the injured are in intensive care, medical providers said.
The body of the deceased was sent to Victoria Hospital for post-mortem examination. Family members and friends of the victim gathered at the hospital, mourning the untimely loss of the young man.
Local residents were also angry that emergency response was delayed, they say. Residents said nearly an hour passed before an ambulance arrived at the accident site. Residents also said when the ambulance finally arrived, only the driver was present, and there were heated arguments and protests at the scene.
People expressed anger at what they described as an increasing number of reckless wheelie riders endangering lives across Bengaluru’s streets. Stunt bike riders had not been taken seriously in the city, and many of their complaints were ignored, leading to numerous incidents on the city roads, residents said. They were in favour of tougher enforcement, regular patrols, and heavy penalties for those who cause such tragedies to take place in the future.
Road safety activists have also pointed out the dangers of unsafe bike stunts. Such reckless riding and stunts are not only dangerous for riders; they’re dangerous for innocent motorists and pedestrians as well. Police and civic authorities must increase surveillance and crack down on those engaging in dangerous activities on public roads, they said.
The case is registered at Jnanabharathi Traffic Police Station, and an investigation is currently ongoing. CCTV footage from the area has been examined, and witness accounts are being gathered to identify the bikers involved. Legal action will be taken against those responsible.
The tragic incident is yet another reason why Bengaluru needs much better road safety enforcement.
