Mangaluru: Mangaluru City police have seized a bus allegedly involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident near Jeppinamogaru and initiated action against its driver.

The accident occurred at around 7.50 pm on October 22, when an unidentified man aged between 30 and 35 was walking along the unpaved road on the left side of National Highway 66, opposite A K Lodge at Jeppinamogaru, towards Mahakali Padpu.

A bus bearing registration number KA-19-AA-8499 allegedly hit the pedestrian and fled without stopping.

The impact threw the man by the roadside, leaving him with severe bleeding injuries to his head. Members of the public who gathered at the spot rushed to his aid and shifted him to Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru. After examining him, doctors confirmed that he had died.

Police register case

Following the incident, Mangaluru Traffic South police registered Case No. 285/2026 under Sections 281 and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 134(a) and 134(b) of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act.

An investigation was launched to identify the vehicle and its driver.

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from cameras installed in and around the accident site. The footage helped identify the vehicle as a bus operating on Route No. 42 under the name ‘Sri Kateel’, bearing registration number KA-19-AA-8499.

The bus has since been seized by the police.

Driver identified during investigation

Preliminary investigation, including an examination of CCTV footage and information provided by passengers travelling on the bus, revealed that the vehicle was being driven by Sudheer K (40), a resident of Kasargod.

Police also found that the driver’s licence was valid.

The investigation is continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident and the events immediately after the collision.

Further investigation underway

Police stated that further investigation would be conducted from all angles. This will include examining the mobile phone location details of the bus driver and passengers who were travelling in the vehicle and may have witnessed the incident.

Other available evidence will also be examined as part of the investigation.

The seizure of the bus and identification of the driver mark key developments in the case, as police continue their inquiry into the fatal accident.