Bhubaneswar: A truck “hit and dragged” an auto-rickshaw for nearly 60 metres near Pandara Square in Bhubaneswar Sunday, critically injuring the passenger and leaving a biker hurt after the driver allegedly “tried to flee the scene”, sources said.
The accident took place near Pandara Square in Bhubaneswar when the truck, allegedly moving at high speed, rammed the passenger auto-rickshaw from behind, according to the sources.
The impact dragged the three-wheeler for several metres before it lost balance, veered off the road and crashed into a roadside shop, the sources informed.
The passenger inside the auto sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where the victim remains under medical supervision, sources said.
The truck driver attempted to escape after the crash and, during the attempt, hit a biker on the busy road, injuring the rider and triggering panic in the area, eyewitnesses added.
Angry locals chased the truck and managed to stop the driver before police arrived at the scene.
Police later brought the situation under control and launched an investigation into the incident. Authorities are also probing whether overspeeding, negligence or drunk driving contributed to the crash.