Airbag failure kills youth in Atal Path accident

Patna: A young man lost his life in a high-speed road accident on Atal Path in the state capital early Monday morning after the airbag of the SUV he was travelling in failed to deploy, turning fatal the impact of a collision with a stationary truck loaded with cattle fodder.Aditya Kumar (24), a resident of Mithapur, succumbed to his injuries during treatment following the crash, which occurred around 3am under Shrikrishna Puri police station area. Four other people sustained injuries in the collision.The incident occurred when the SUV, travelling at high speed while returning from Sonepur, rear-ended a stationary truck. One of the truck’s tyres had been punctured, forcing the driver to park the vehicle on the side of the road while attempting repairs.The impact was so severe that the SUV’s front portion was completely destroyed, while the truck was also badly damaged, with its load of animal fodder sacks scattered across the road.On receiving information, the Gandhi Maidan traffic police seized both vehicles for further investigation.The 50-year-old truck driver, Ramsevak, a resident of Shivpuri in Chitkohra, was admitted to a private hospital in critical condition.Jitendra Rana, SHO of SK Puri police station, said the accident occurred due to over-speeding. “The airbag of the SUV did not deploy after the collision. The driver of the SUV was taken to a private hospital, where he died during treatment,” he said.According to police, the SUV was occupied by four youths returning from a party. All airbags deployed except the driver’s seat airbag, which is believed to have contributed to the fatal injuries. The three other passengers suffered minor injuries.“Ramsevak was transporting fodder from Chhapra to his mill in Patna when the tyre of his truck got punctured. He parked the vehicle on Atal Path to repair it, and suddenly the SUV rammed into it from behind with immense force. A loud crash echoed through the area, alerting locals,” the SHO added.