BHUBANESWAR: Two days after an eight-year-old girl was killed after being hit by a speeding SUV on National Highway at Patrapada, her mother also succumbed to her injuries on Monday. The two-year-old son of the deceased woman, Rebati Roul, is stated to be stable.
The trio was attempting to cross the highway on foot on Saturday evening when they were hit by the SUV. The vehicle had sped away after the accident. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his grief over the accident, which claimed the lives of the mother-daughter duo. He announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the kin of the two victims.
Meanwhile, police have found the SUV lying abandoned in Jatni area. The driver is yet to be traced though. “CCTV cameras on over 2 km stretch were examined and the SUV involved in the accident was identified. The vehicle was seized from Jatni area and efforts are on to nab the driver,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena.
Later in the evening, hundreds of locals staged a road blockade demanding stringent action against the accused persons. The protests led to a massive traffic jam on both sides of the highway for over an hour. Meena rushed to the spot to pacify the agitators and also met the victim’s husband, who is a home guard. They called off the blockade after his assurances.