BENGALURU: "A container truck going over the road divider and crashing on a car coming in the opposite direction, it was one of the most horrible accidents ever witnessed on this busy highway. Six innocent lives were snuffed out within seconds for no fault of theirs. Pulling each victim from the mangled remains of the SUV was heart-wrenching. These images are sure to haunt us for some time," recounted a fire service staffer at the accident spot near Nelamangala, where city-based automotive software company CEO Chandram Yegapagol and five of his family members were killed.
The cause of the tragedy: A callous and mindless car driver who decided to slow down his vehicle in the middle of the road!
Reconstructing the sequence of events, a Nelamangala policeman said: "The tragedy was sparked by a thoughtless decision made by a car driver. A blue car ahead of the container truck suddenly slowed down in the middle of the road, possibly to search for a restaurant or exit. This abrupt slowdown forced the container truck driver, who was trailing the car, to brake hard. In the chaos, he lost control, causing the truck to veer across the divider and collide fatally with Chandram's Volvo SUV, which was moving in the opposite direction. The SUV was crushed beyond recognition, with the family caught in the tragic incident they couldn't have foreseen or avoided.
With traffic coming to a halt, locals and fellow motorists rushed to the spot hoping to rescue the victims trapped in the SUV. Nelamangala fire station officer KN Siddavanappa said: "Taking the container truck, which was laden with aluminium, off the car was a herculean task. The truck was so heavy it wouldn't budge an inch despite hundreds of people trying to push it to the side. Subsequently, four heavy-duty cranes had to be summoned to the spot. It took nearly three hours to lift the container."
Following this, the locals along with police tried to pull out the victims, but in vain. "Extricating their bodies from the metal wreckage was also a big challenge, they were all dead in their seats," said Manjunath, a local volunteer. Based on Chandram's brother's complaint, Nelamangala traffic police registered a case against container truck driver Arif and have also launched a search for the blue car, which triggered the tragedy.
CEO was on his way to visit ailing fatherSrinivasulu, an accounts manager in Chandram's company for the last five years, said: "This is an unfortunate thing to have happened to all of us. Chandram was a very good employer. He had started the new company and we were all set to move into a new building in the next two months, the puja was also done.
He told us he was taking off as he had to go to his village. His father, who was not keeping well, was discharged from hospital recently and he was eager to meet him. But fate had other designs. His death is a great loss for all of us." Chandram had given employment to around 150 people and was planning to expand in Pune.
They were supposed to be in the car, but...Two family members narrowly escaped being part of the tragedy, their stories underscoring the twist of fate that spared them. Shashikanth, nephew of Chandram, recounted how close he came to being in the ill-fated SUV. "Yesterday, Chandram uncle asked me to come home with him. We were supposed to travel together to the village today. But I couldn't get leave from work. And now, this has happened," he said, wiping away tears.
Chandram had bought the SUV during Deepavali and this was a long trip planned. Another relative, Veena said: "Chandram had invited me to travel with them. When I last spoke to him on the phone, he said they had crossed the city. I had planned to join them later by bus in the evening, but the accident happened and the loss of my family is unbearable."