Kaup: Three persons, including a schoolboy, were injured and four vehicles were damaged in two separate accidents that occurred within a span of about 15 minutes near Dandatheertha and Kothalkatte at Uliargoli on National Highway 66 on Friday evening. The incidents caused concern among local residents and briefly disrupted traffic movement on the busy highway stretch.
According to local sources, the first accident occurred near Dandatheertha when a motorcycle reportedly rammed into a car and then hit a mother and her child who were waiting for a bus after the child had been picked up from a playschool. The sudden collision created panic among people nearby, with several residents rushing to assist the injured.
LKG student Gaurav of a local school and the bike rider Mahesh, a staff member of Pashu Sanjeevini, sustained serious injuries in the mishap. The mother, who was also present at the bus stop, escaped without major injuries.
Local residents immediately shifted the injured child and the rider to a hospital in Udupi for treatment. The car and the motorcycle involved in the accident were badly damaged due to the impact. Witnesses said the incident occurred during peak evening hours when traffic movement on the highway is usually high.
Second accident within minutes
Within about 15 minutes of the first incident, another accident occurred near Kothalkatte, a short distance away from the earlier crash. In this mishap, a car travelling towards Udupi collided with an auto-rickshaw.
The collision caused significant damage to both vehicles and resulted in the auto-rickshaw overturning on the road. The driver of the auto-rickshaw sustained a head injury and required immediate medical attention.
The auto-rickshaw was reportedly transporting mangoes at the time of the accident. Following the collision, the fruit crates were thrown onto the road and mangoes were scattered across the highway, adding to the confusion at the scene.
Passersby and local residents rushed to help the injured driver and alerted emergency services. The injured driver was later admitted to a hospital in Udupi for treatment.
Traffic disruption and police response
Both accidents led to temporary traffic disruption along the highway stretch as vehicles slowed down and gathered near the accident sites. Local residents helped clear the road and move the damaged vehicles to the side to restore traffic movement.
Police personnel from the Kaup police station soon arrived at both accident spots. Officers conducted inspections, gathered information from witnesses and documented the damage to the vehicles involved.
Cases have been registered in connection with both accidents, and further investigation is underway to determine the exact causes of the mishaps. Police are also examining whether overspeeding or negligence may have contributed to the accidents.
Growing concerns over highway safety
Residents living along the highway have often raised concerns about road safety, particularly during busy evening hours when traffic volume increases significantly. They say the stretch near Uliargoli witnesses frequent accidents due to speeding vehicles and heavy movement of cars, buses and two-wheelers.
Local people have urged authorities to improve safety measures along the highway, including better traffic regulation, warning signboards and stricter enforcement of speed limits. They also stressed the need for greater awareness among drivers to prevent such incidents.
Conclusion
Although the accidents caused injuries and vehicle damage, timely assistance from residents helped ensure that the injured received prompt medical care. Police officials have appealed to motorists to exercise caution while driving on highways and to strictly follow traffic rules to avoid similar incidents in the future.