TUMAKURU: Workaholic Shivakumar on May Day was delivering pressure cookers manufactured from an industrial estate to a shop at Huliyaru.
After a long 97-km drive in the goods carrier laden with pressure cookers, he suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest close to his destination around 12 noon, and lost consciousness at the wheel. His 10-year-old son, who did not understand what happened, showed quick presence of mind and steered the vehicle to safety, thus averting a mishap.
Crying inconsolably, the boy then realised that his father had passed away. A student of Class V at a government primary school at Allalasandra in Koratagere taluk, Puneerth had been enjoying his summer vacation while accompanying his father during work. His younger brother Narasimharaju, a first standard student in the same school, was too young to realise his father was no more.
While Shivakumar preferred to work on May Day, his wife Munirathnamma had taken leave. “She works in a garment factory at Goraguntepalya in Bengaluru and the factory had declared leave. We have not informed her about her husband’s death as of yet,” Gowramma, a relative, told TNIE.
Shivakumar’s mother-in-law, Sundaramma, claimed his mortal remains on Wednesday evening.
Hailing from Durgadahalli village near Devarayanadurga in Tumakuru, Shivakumar had moved to Allalasandra village to take care of his widowed mother-in-law.
“He was a good man and focused on his job always. It’s unfortunate that he died at a young age leaving behind his family,” said Tejaraju, a neighbour.
Huliyaru police sub-inspector Lakshmikanth informed TNIE that since it was a natural death, the body will be released after postmortem, but only if it’s demanded by the family members. He appreciated Shivakumar’s young son’s quick thinking.