Man crushed to death by pvt bus

BHUBANESWAR: Unruly private buses have turned the roads of the State Capital into death traps for commuters. On Wednesday, a motorist died after coming under the wheels of a private bus near the busy Station Square in the City. 

The deceased, 20-year-old Ratnakara Khatua of Nayagarh district, was working in a private firm here. Though he was rushed to a hospital soon after the accident, the doctors declared him brought dead. Sources said Khatua lost his balance and came under the rear wheels of the bus.
The private bus was carrying over 35 tourists from Gunupur in Rayagada district. Police said the bus came from Puri and was on way to Nandankanan when the mishap took place. 
Following the incident, tension flared up in the area as irate locals vandalised the bus. However, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. 

The driver, Premananda Dandasena, has been arrested and the bus seized, said Kharavela Nagar IIC Jnanendra Sahu.
Wednesday’s incident exposed the failure of City cops to rein in unruly private buses which continue to put lives of commuters in danger due to rash driving. 
In September last year, as many as five persons were injured after a truck rammed into the rear side of a bus at Palasuni after the driver of the latter applied sudden brakes to pick up more passengers. 
Local residents alleged that while buses stopping suddenly in the middle of the road near Palasuni was a regular affair, traffic authorities have never bothered to check the violation. Sources said private buses also block major roads at Vani Vihar, Station Square, Jaydev Vihar and a few other busy junctions for several minutes to pick up passengers. 

Motor vehicle accidents in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have become a major concern for the authorities. Last year, 653 motor vehicle accidents were reported in the Capital against 600 in 2017, 598 in 2016 and 600 in 2015. Similarly, Cuttack also witnessed a rise in motor vehicle accidents. About 393 accidents were reported in the Millennium City in 2018 while the figure was 317 in 2017, 325 in 2016 and 323 in 2015.

Boy killed by speeding car

Bhubaneswar: A Plus Two student was killed after being hit by a speeding car on National Highway-16 within Janla police limits on Wednesday. The boy, Sibananda Samantaray of Mendhasala, was walking on the side of the NH when a the car hit him from behind. Samantaray was rushed to a hospital in Khurda where the doctors declared him brought dead. Following the mishap, the CCTV footage of the accident went viral on social media. Police detained the driver and seized the car. It seems the driver was sick and he dozed-off behind the wheel, leading to the accident, said Jatni IIC Biswaranjan Sahoo said. The accused driver is a businessman.