JAIPUR: At least three persons died and two others were injured when the SUV, they were travelling in, collided head-on with a truck at Bhalukhai near Jaraka Bazaar on National Highway-5 in the district on Friday.
The deceased have been identified as Mukesh Saha (50), his wife Pratima Saha (45) and Tapan Kanti (55), a friend of Mukesh. The injured are Bhanumati Saha (60), mother-in-law of Mukesh, and the driver of the SUV.
All of them belong to Jandada village under Panchkuda police limits in Midnapore district in West Bengal, police said. The accident occurred around 4.30 am when the vehicle was heading towards Bhubaneswar from Midnapore. “Mukesh was a patient and was to get admitted in a private hospital at Bhubaneswar,” said a police official.
On hearing the sound of the crash, some locals rushed to the spot and informed police. The injured were first admitted to a nearby Government-run hospital and later shifted to SCB Medical, Cuttack. Police seized the bodies and sent them to Barachana hospital for post-mortem. The badly damaged SUV has also been seized. The truck has been seized but the driver is absconding.