BHUBANESWAR: A day after a speeding Mercedes-Benz claimed the life of a biker in Bhubaneswar, two more youths were killed in a hit-and-run accident on the Khandagiri flyover along NH-16 late on Tuesday night.
The victims, identified as Rashmiranjan Das (30) and Biswaranjan Pattnaik (27), were travelling on a motorcycle from Patrapada to Baramunda when an unidentified speeding vehicle rammed them from behind at around 11.30 pm.
Police said Rashmiranjan was riding the motorcycle while Biswaranjan was the pillion rider. The impact threw both of them off the bike. The vehicle allegedly ran over the duo before speeding away towards Baramunda. Passersby rushed the injured men to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead. On Wednesday, Rashmiranjan’s family lodged a complaint with Khandagiri police, demanding that the offending vehicle be identified and its driver arrested at the earliest.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Officials said efforts are underway to identify the vehicle involved by examining CCTV footage and other evidence and to trace the absconding driver.
The back-to-back fatal crashes within 24 hours have once again raised over-speeding and reckless driving concerns in the city.