Another accident near Joka hosp claims a life

Kolkata: Barely 26 hours after two MBBS students of ESI Hospital in Joka lost their lives in a bike accident on James Long Sarani while returning to their hostel in the early hours of Sunday, another person, a pillion rider, was killed and the rider was severely injured in an early morning accident near the same spot.The fatal accident was reported close to the hospital's main gate when the bike was trying to take a U-turn towards Joka on Diamond Harbour Road. Police said the crash occurred around 5.15 am on Monday, 2.5 km away from Sunday's accident site.
"The victims were travelling on a bike, and were taking a U-turn from the Behala-bound flank towards the opposite flank when the rider lost control, and the pillion rider fell on the road. They were hit by an unidentified small goods vehicle that fled the spot immediately after the collision," an officer said.Pillion rider Arup Mondal (40), a resident of Sonamukhi close to Sarsuna, was declared brought dead at the hospital around 5.47 am. The rider, Debashis Sarnakar (33), sustained injuries and was taken to ESIC Hospital for primary treatment before being referred to NRS Hospital, where he is stated to be serious. Sarnakar is also a resident of Sonamukhi. According to witnesses, the bike seemed to be entering the ESIC Hospital premises from DH Road when it went for the U-turn and lost balance. The goods vehicle, travelling from south to north, allegedly drove in a rash and negligent manner, and struck the two-wheeler. The vehicle driver did not stop to assist the bikers. Thakurpukur Police registered a case against the driver of the goods vehicle. Cops said efforts were on to identify the goods vehicle and its driver, and to establish the sequence of events leading to the collision.