Passenger’s head severed after bus hits pole at highway barrier

Bareilly

: In a freak accident reported from Fatehgunj West highway toll barrier, a 22-year-old Nepali national travelling in a Haridwar bound State Roadways bus was decapitated after the vehicle hit a steel pole near the barrier. The victim had stuck his head out of the window at the time of the collision, which led to his death, according to officials.

Laxmi Dhami, also known as Lachu, a resident of Vasi village under Jelak district of Nepal was travelling from Haridwar to Rupadiya on Monday night. As the bus reached the highway toll plaza at Fatehgunj West tehsil in Bareilly, the driver took the vehicle to counter number 6. However, Dhami, who had stuck his head outside the bus to take a look, hit a steel pole near the toll counter.

The impact severed Dhami’s head from his body, while his fellow passengers raised an outcry. The driver, on seeing the result of the accident immediately jumped out of the bus and fled. The passengers informed the Fatehgunj West police, who arrived at the spot and took the body for post mortem.

Police also detained the bus conductor who, during questioning, said that the victim was sitting on the last row of the vehicle and had been constantly sticking his head out of the window during the journey. He had also been repeatedly warned by the driver not to do so, but had not paid heed to the warning.

“Perhaps the scarf which the victim was wearing on his head got entangled with the pole near the barrier due to which he was flung outside and hishead was severed by the steel pole. His family members have arrived from Nepal and taken away his body to perform the last rites,” said Rajendra Siddhu, inspector, Fatehgunj West police station.

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