CUTTACK: A 30-year-old man sustained critical injuries after his motorcycle was hit by an Ama Bus near Malachandia Chhak within Badambadi police limits on Thursday.
The injured, Prasant Muduli of Olatpur in Kantapada block, is currently under treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital. The bus driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the spot soon after the incident.
As per the eyewitnesses, after hitting the motorcycle, the bus dragged both Muduli and his vehicle up to 20 feet before coming to a halt. Locals rushed to the spot and searched for the jack inside the bus. However, there was neither any heavy duty hydraulic jack nor a high-tonnage bottle jack inside the tool box of the bus. Instead of waiting for the crane to arrive at the spot, the locals manually lifted the bus to one side using their own force and rescued Muduli along with his motorcycle. Police reached the spot and rushed him to SCB MCH.
The incident, meanwhile, triggered tension in the area with local residents demanding stricter enforcement of traffic safety and accountability for such reckless driving of Ama Buses.
The bus was seized and a manhunt launched to trace the absconding driver, said police.