Bengaluru: Traffic movement on the busy Bengaluru–Hosur National Highway (NH-44) was severely disrupted on Friday morning following a serial collision involving a BMTC bus, a lorry and two cars near the Hale Chandapura railway bridge. The accident, which occurred around 7.30 am during peak office hours, caused long traffic snarls and left four people, including a child, with minor injuries.

According to the Surya City Police, the collision took place at a major bottleneck where highway expansion work is currently underway. Although the vehicles involved sustained extensive damage, police said a major tragedy was averted as traffic was moving at a very slow pace due to congestion at the railway bridge.

Sequence of events leading to the accident

Police investigations revealed that two cars travelling from the Hale Chandapura side allegedly entered the national highway from the wrong direction. The motorists were reportedly attempting to avoid heavy congestion caused by ongoing road-widening and infrastructure work in the area.

As the two cars moved against the flow of traffic, they collided head-on with a lorry coming from the Hosur side. The impact was severe enough to wedge one of the cars under the lorry. Moments later, a BMTC bus that was following the lorry could not brake in time, resulting in a chain collision. One of the cars overturned and was dragged several metres before the vehicles came to a halt.

A senior police officer said that the speed of vehicles at the time of the accident was estimated to be around 5 to 6 km per hour due to the narrow stretch near the railway bridge. “The slow-moving traffic prevented the injuries from becoming life-threatening, despite the extent of damage to the vehicles,” the officer said.

Injuries and emergency response

Four people, including a child, sustained minor injuries in the collision. They were rushed to a nearby hospital for first aid and were later discharged. No fatalities were reported.

Traffic police and local police personnel rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the accident. A crane was pressed into service to remove the mangled vehicles from the road, a process that took considerable time due to the extent of damage and the narrow carriageway.

Traffic chaos during peak hours

The accident led to massive traffic congestion on the Hosur main road, with vehicles backed up for several kilometres. Office-goers, students and daily commuters bore the brunt of the disruption, with many stranded in traffic for over an hour.

Several commuters took to social media to complain about the lack of traffic management at the site, particularly during peak hours. Many pointed out that ongoing construction work, combined with poor signage and inadequate barricading, had turned the stretch into a daily nightmare for motorists.

Local anger over road conditions

The incident triggered anger among local residents, who accused the authorities of negligence. “This spot has become a death trap due to the ongoing construction and poor planning. There are no clear diversions, and people are forced to take risky manoeuvres to escape traffic,” a frustrated resident said.

Residents have demanded better traffic regulation, clearer signboards and the deployment of additional traffic police personnel at the railway bridge until the highway expansion work is completed.

Police action and investigation

The Surya City Police have registered a case against the lorry driver for allegedly failing to halt the vehicle in time and in connection with damage to the vehicles involved. Police said the role of the car drivers who entered the highway from the wrong direction is also being examined.

Officials reiterated that wrong-side driving on national highways poses a serious risk to all road users and urged motorists to exercise patience during congestion rather than resorting to dangerous shortcuts.

Conclusion

The chain collision on NH-44 near Hale Chandapura once again highlighted the risks posed by wrong-side driving and poorly managed construction zones in Bengaluru. While slow-moving traffic prevented loss of life, the incident caused major inconvenience and raised questions about road safety planning. Authorities have assured commuters that steps will be taken to improve traffic regulation at the stretch to prevent similar incidents in the future.