A major road accident caused the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka's Mandya district to be totally destroyed and forced traffic along the road to be blocked and stopped for several kilometres. A car crashed close to Hanakere village when a car tried to overtake a lorry and crashed into a lorry, the driver told the police.
According to preliminary information, the injured couple was travelling from Mysuru to Bengaluru in their car when the accident occurred. As the vehicle moved on the fast expressway, the driver tried to overtake a lorry heading in the same direction. This caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, and the vehicle crashed.
Witnesses said the car overturned multiple times because of the force of the impact. The car then crossed the central divider and landed on the opposite carriageway of the expressway. The rollover was so severe that the car was completely mangled, with much damage to its body and structure.
The couple trapped inside the crashed car were seriously injured in the accident, and people in the car witnessed and quickly notified emergency services about the accident. The victims were immediately rescued from the car, and the wounded people were pulled out of the damaged vehicle safely.
The victims were then transferred to Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) Hospital for treatment. Hospital officials said both were seriously injured and are currently being treated. They are closely studying their health, and no official information on their condition has been released.
The accident disrupted traffic on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, one of Karnataka's busiest highways. Traffic was practically stopped due to the damaged vehicle and emergency rescue operations, and there were long lines of cars at the accident site with drivers waiting for hours to clear out and return to the normal flow of vehicles.
Traffic police and highway patrol teams rushed to the site to control the pace of traffic and prevent further accidents. In some areas, officials diverted traffic while cranes and recovery vehicles were deployed to remove the wrecked car from the road.
Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, a high-speed expressway connecting the two major cities, has been in the news for many accidents since its opening. Road safety experts have always emphasised that one of the key safety factors when overtaking vehicles moving at an excessive speed, namely fast lane changes, wrong distance and excessive speed, are among the most common reasons why drivers get into accidents with other vehicles on expressways.
Investigators are trying to determine the exact cause of the accident. And investigators are looking at witness accounts and other evidence to determine what led to the rollover crash. Preliminary evidence suggests overtaking could have been a factor, officials said.
Greater safety driving is required for expressways, because a small mistake can have serious consequences. Drivers should maintain their speeds and use indicators while changing lanes, and have enough distance from heavy vehicles while overtaking, the officials said.
As investigations continue, we remain focused on the recovery of the injured couple and on getting traffic flowing again on one of the most important transportation corridors in Karnataka.
