The road accident involving a tourist vehicle and a milk transport van occurred at Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway near Channapatna, Karnataka, in which a dozen people were injured, and traffic was temporarily suspended at the busy highway.
We have learnt that the accident took place near Athithi Hotel at Mattikere village in Channapatna taluk when a TT vehicle carrying people of a Bengaluru-based family collided with a milk transport vehicle from behind. Local sources also say that the TT vehicle attempted to overtake another vehicle, and by doing so, the driver failed to take into account the distance ahead and collided with the milk van.
According to local sources, the family returned to Bengaluru after visiting the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam and other tourist spots in Mysuru district, where the family had travelled for some time. The trip was meant to be a leisure affair, and the accident on the return journey became a disaster.
The collision had a significant impact on the front of the TT vehicle. The force of the collision also left the vehicle badly mangled in the driver's cabin and front passenger area. Many of the front occupants were injured by the force of the crash.
Witnesses heard a loud crash and rushed to help the injured passengers. People passing by from the traffic drove up to help the people trapped inside the damaged car immediately. Emergency help was provided before the injured were transferred to local hospitals.
The milk transport vehicle also sustained damage in the accident. Hundreds of milk packets being transported in the vehicle were scattered across the road after the collision. The sight of milk packets strewn across the expressway attracted the attention of commuters and temporarily slowed traffic movement in the area.
Channapatna Traffic Police officials arrived at the site of the accident quickly after receiving the news about the accident. It was a police officer’s job to conduct an inspection of the scene, remove damaged vehicles from the road and coordinate traffic flow on the expressway.
But police are investigating the accident. An attempted overtaking manoeuvre may have been the cause of the crash, but officials are still looking at all aspects of that incident.
Experts in road safety have repeatedly warned drivers to be careful when driving on high-speed highways like the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway. Sudden lane changes, speeding, and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres are among the leading causes of crashes on highways.
Police have registered the case at the Channapatna Traffic Police Station, and further investigation is ongoing. The drivers that were involved will be interviewed, as well as other witnesses, by officials, and evidence will be collected to establish who caused the accident.
The incident serves as another reminder of the importance of following traffic laws and driving safely in a vehicle, especially on expressways that are designed to move at high speeds. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported, but the vehicles were damaged.
