18 injured after uncontrolled truck hits 20 vehicles

Our Correspondent

Bua Bichia,

An Uncontrolled truck was on a hitting spree on Tuesday after the driver lost control on the steering while moving on the National Highway passing from the main road of Bichhia town. The speeding truck hit 20 vehicles including truck, motorcycle, auto rickshaw, car and commuters.

The driver somehow managed to stop the truck in front of Bichhia police station gate. The truck driver was taken into custody. Thirteen person were injured in this mishap and five were seriously injured and they had to be rushed to district hospital, Mandla. The truck which was hit by the uncontrolled truck overturned on the divider. The truck bearing number HR 73 8 7241 was going from Raipur to Haryana, informed an eye-witness.

Another eye-witness informed that driver was driving truck in a high speed. Firstly it hit the vehicle of the Hawk force jawans and many Jawan sitting in it were injured. Then it hit the motorcycles, auto, car and other vehicles coming on its way. People were running helter-skelter seeing the ruckus created on the main market by this overspeeding truck. The driver somehow truck was stopped and many lives were saved. Soon after Congress leaders Pradeep Goswami and others sat on chakka jam on the National Highway in front of police station. MLA Bichhia Narayan Singh Patta also joined the protest and raised slogan against district administration. After receiving positive assurance from the Collector, Mandla, Harshita Singh they ended their protest. The protesters were demanding construction of a bypass as the passage of heavy vehicles from the town is posing threat to the lives of locals. During the protest SDM Srijana Yadav, SDOP Khuman Singh and local police officers tried to pacify the agitated mob but they refuse to end their protest as they were demanding for positive assurance for starting of construction of bypass very soon.

Local leaders were agitated and sat on dharna along with locals. They stated that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during campaigning of local bodies elections had announced sanctioning of bypass but still no action was taken on this announcement. Even in the Legislative Assembly session, BJP and Congress leaders are raising this issue to catch the sentiments of locals. MLA Narayan Singh Patta had heated discussion on the issue of construction of bypass with the ruling bench in the Assembly session. The speeding truck passed from the stretch of national highway which passes from the middle of the town and are cause of frequent accidents. Despite protest of locals, National Highway passed through Bichhia town. On the complaint of one of the injured Ashish Srivas, Bichhia police has registered a case under section 279, 337, 427 of the IPC, Section 181 of Motor Vehicle Act and arrested the accused truck driver.