Man, daughter killed in scooter-truck collision

Times News Network
Ludhiana: A 38-year-old man and his daughter were killed and their relative injured when their scooter collided with a truck at Kailash Chowk on National Highway-44 on Sunday night.
Bikau Ram, along with his daughter Sapna, 11, had gone to a visit a relative, Suman Kumar, 28, in Kailash Nagar. Around 9.30pm, Suman offered to drop them home. While Suman was driving the scooter, Bikau Ram, a labourer, and Sapna, residents of Daresi, were riding pillion.
An eyewitnesses said, “When the scooter entered the main Kailash Nagar Chowk, it collided with a truck coming from Jalandhar Bypass side. Both the vehicles were speeding.”
Jodhewal police station SHO sub-inspector Arshpreet Kaur Grewal said, “Following the crash, the truck driver escaped from the spot, leaving his vehicle behind. We are yet to record Suman’s statement.”
After the accident, the area residents gathered at the spot and protested against the “indifferent” government. “Despite the several fatal accidents the stretch has witnessed, the authorities have failed to install street-lights here.” Police later dispersed the agitators.
‘It is a neglected stretch’
“The ongoing flyover work at NH-44, near Basti Jodhewal, has affected the entire area around it. The surrounding roads are in a bad condition, there are no streetlights, some crossings have been closed for commuters and people drive on wrong side, which lead to fatal accidents. The authorities should take up the case with Union transport ministry and National Highways Authority of India as work on the project has been going on for long,” said road safety expert Kamaljit Soi.