Drunk car driver mows down woman, two grandchildren in Odisha

ANGUL/BALANGIR:  A woman and her two minor grandchildren were killed after being run over by a speeding car in Gobara village within Vikrampur police limits in Angul on Friday.

The deceased are Pramila Pradhan (50) and her grandchildren Punam Pradhan (7) and Bubu Pradhan (4). Eyewitnesses said in the evening, the two kids were playing on the village road while their grandmother was standing nearby. At around 7 pm, a car speeding on the narrow road hit the two children and Pramila. The trio was killed instantly.

Following the mishap, irate villagers managed to stop the car at Jagannath Colony and thrashed the driver who was reportedly in an inebriated condition.  On being informed, a team of Vikrampur police led by Talcher sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Manas Ranjan Barik reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

SDPO Barik said the accused car driver has been detained and the bodies were sent for postmortem. Further investigation is underway. Similarly in Balangir, two persons including a pregnant woman were killed in a road mishap on the day. The deceased are Ashok Majhi (26) and Lalita Majhi (22) of Gaindimal village within Turekela police limits. Sources said the duo was returning from Lathore on a two-wheeler when a truck hit them. Both of them died on the spot. The truck driver managed to flee after the accident. Turekela police reached the spot and sent the bodies for autopsy.