Close shave for five after speeding bus crashes into trolley

Indore: Five passengers were injured after a sleeper bus rammed into a cement-laden trolley from behind on the Mandsaur-Ratlam four-lane highway early Saturday near Kalukheda Fanta under Dhodhar outpost limits in Ratlam, police said.The bus, carrying passengers from Jodhpur to Indore, was speeding when the accident occurred around 7 am. Police said the trolley ahead slowed down while crossing a speed breaker on the stretch, leaving the bus driver with little time to react. He failed to bring the vehicle under control, resulting in a collision that crushed the front portion of the bus.Most passengers were asleep at the time of the crash. The sudden collision triggered panic inside the vehicle, with passengers waking up to screams and chaos. The front windscreen shattered completely and the driver's side of the bus suffered severe damage.Locals rushed to rescue passengers. A police team led by Dhodhar outpost in-charge Raghuveer Joshi reached the site and began rescue operations. The injured passengers were pulled out of the damaged bus and shifted to the govt hospital in Jaora for treatment.The accident led to a temporary disruption of traffic on one side of the highway. A crane was deployed to separate the bus from the trolley and clear the road for movement.In the immediate aftermath, the bus driver fled the spot, prompting a search by the police. Jaora SDOP Sandeep Malviya said preliminary probe indicates the bus driver could not control the speed as the trolley slowed down at the breaker, leading to the crash.