Dharakote: An auto-rickshaw driver was killed after his vehicle lost balance and overturned when a monkey suddenly jumped in front of it near Talapatana under Dharakote police limits in Ganjam district Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Rutu Karji, 20, of Sorada.
He was driving an auto-rickshaw from Kalasandhapur towards Sorada, carrying his brother and sister-in-law who had arrived from Chennai.
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Police said he lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid the monkey, causing the auto-rickshaw to overturn.
Ritu was rushed to the Dharakote Community Health Centre with the help of locals, where doctors declared him dead.
Police reached the spot, sent the body for a post-mortem and launched an investigation into the incident.