KOLAR: A 20-year-old BE student was burnt to death after his high-end bike collided head-on with a private bus near Bangarpet town on Wednesday. The busy Bangarpet-Kolar Road was blocked following the accident, which happened around 6.30 am.
Eyewitnesses told TNIE that nobody attempted to save the youth, Niraj, and onlookers instead shot the accident on their mobile phones. Even the bus passengers did not try to save him. According to sources, Niraj, a third-year student of a private engineering college in Bengaluru, had recently purchased the bike worth Rs 18 lakh.
Niraj was in Bangarpet for Christmas celebrations, and left for Kolar on Wednesday morning to meet some friends, and to have breakfast at a restaurant located on the Bengaluru-Chennai highway. A few minutes after crossing the Bangarpet railway track, the two-wheeler collided with a private bus coming from the opposite direction near Jain International School. Sources said the front wheel of the bike got separated from the vehicle and the petrol tank was damaged due to the impact of the accident. Although Niraj was wearing a helmet, he sustained head injuries and multiple fractures.
Speaking to TNIE, KGF SP B S Lokesh Kumar said preliminary investigation revealed that although the bus driver applied brakes, the deceased and a portion of the two-wheeler were dragged for almost 50 feet.The bike later caught fire, which spread to Niraj’s body. According to the Motor Vehicle Inspector, when a two-wheeler grazes the road with high speed, it may catch fire following leakage of petrol and oil, Lokesh Kumar said.
An eyewitness said that two villagers tried to help Niraj, but some youths warned them that the bike may explode. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police B L Srinivasamurthy, only the postmortem report will reveal whether the youth died on the accident spot or was burnt alive.