Vehicle pile-up kills 2, injures 4 on highway in Patna

Patna: A 52-year-old man and his daughter died, while four others sustained critical injuries when their SUV crashed into a stationary container truck and was then hit by another car on the Bakhtiyarpur–Mokama four-lane highway in Patna district late Saturday night. The accident occurred around 10.45 pm near Fulelpur village under Athmalgola police station limits amid dense fog.According to police, the deceased were identified as Anupam Kumar (52), a bank employee from Bhagalpur, and his 25-year-old daughter, Aastha Rani. The impact was so severe that Anupam’s head was smashed and Aastha’s head was severed from her body, while the roof of their SUV was completely blown off.SHO Rahul Kumar said a container truck travelling ahead of the bank employees’ SUV suffered a sudden tyre burst, forcing it to halt abruptly on the highway. “The SUV, which was following closely, rammed into the rear of the truck. Seconds later, another car collided with the wrecked SUV, resulting in the deadly pile-up,” he said.“Two persons died on the spot, while the SUV driver was trapped inside the vehicle. With the help of a crane, the bodies were pulled out and sent to Barh sub-divisional hospital for post-mortem. The injured were taken to Panchmukhi Hospital in Bakhtiyarpur for treatment,” the SHO added.Anupam Kumar’s family, including his wife Shweta Kumari and their son Sunny, was travelling from Bhagalpur to Faridabad when the accident occurred. Shweta sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment, while Sunny suffered minor one.In the other car, two people — Ajit Kumar Chandan, who suffered multiple fractures including broken arms and ribs, and Sunil Kumar, deputy manager at SBI Patna — were injured. “We were returning to Patna after a meeting with the Bhagalpur district magistrate when the fog caused our vehicle to collide with the vehicles ahead,” Sunil said.