A horrific road accident occurred Sunday night on the national highway towards Palasa in Srikakulam where three people were injured, two of them in critical condition. An Innova car in the Nemali Narayanapuram bypass lost control and collided with an oncoming lorry in the middle of a storm.
The Sequence of Events
The victims were residents of Parlakhemundi, Odisha, returning home after a pilgrimage to Puri Jagannath Temple. Mukesh Panigrahi, Amulya Patro and the driver, Achyutananda Barada, were among them.
As they traveled to Palasa Sunday evening, the region was hit with heavy rain and torrential winds. Visibility was virtually nonexistent and the roads were slick. The driver lost control of the vehicle, eyewitnesses said, because of the strong gale. The Innova veered off the road, climbed over the road divider, and entered the opposite lane, when it collided with a speeding lorry. The force of the collision was so sharp that the car was mangled and overturned a few times before it crashed into the agricultural fields around it.
శ్రీకాకుళంలో ఘోర రోడ్డు ప్రమాదం
— greatandhra (@greatandhranews) April 6, 2026
పలాస సమీపంలో భారీ వర్షం, ఈదురు గాలులతో అదుపుతప్పిన ఇన్నోవా కారు డివైడర్ ఢీకొట్టి పల్టీ కొట్టి లారీని ఢీకొంది
పూరి దర్శనం అనంతరం పర్లాఖిమిండి వెళ్తుండగా ఈ ప్రమాదం చోటుచేసుకుంది
ముగ్గురికి గాయాలు కాగా, అందులో ఇద్దరి పరిస్థితి విషమంగా ఉంది pic.twitter.com/vfIa7foBpt
Rescue and Medical Status
Local residents and commuters who witnessed the crash rushed to help. The occupants of the car were trapped inside the mangled remains of the car but the local people were able to get them out and call the emergency services.
The highway ambulance transported the injured to Palasa Government Hospital for emergency stabilization. But due to severe head and internal injuries, two of the victims, Mukesh Panigrahi and driver Achyutananda, were said to be in critical condition and unconscious. They were taken to Srikakulam RIMS (Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences).
Police Investigation
The Kasibugga Police, led by Circle Inspector Y. Ramakrishna, have made a case and started an investigation. Preliminary investigations indicate that overspeeding and the sudden onset of a storm caused the vehicle to hydroplane. The lorry driver who was involved in the collision is being questioned as part of the legal process.
The accident is a stark reminder that driving in the pre-monsoon storms that frequently hit the Andhra-Odisha border in April can be dangerous. Travelers need to stop in safe zones during high winds and heavy downpours, the police said.
