BHUBANESWAR: A 45-year-old man was killed while his 13-year-old daughter sustained grievous injuries after a speeding Hyva truck allegedly hit their two-wheeler on the service road in Gangapada area within Info Valley police limits here on Saturday evening.
Police identified the deceased as Niranjan Mohapatra. His daughter Lisa is currently battling for life at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar here. Police have seized the truck but the driver managed to flee after the incident.
Initial investigation revealed Mohapatra picked up Lisa from her tuition classes and was returning home on his two-wheeler when the accident occurred at about 4 pm.
“Preliminary probe suggests there was head-on collision between the truck and the motorcycle on the service road, which claimed the life of a man and left his daughter seriously injured. Her condition is stated to be critical now,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena.
Following the incident, locals staged a road blockade alleging that commuters were being forced to move through the service road on NH-16 as the construction work of the flyover in Gangapada was yet to be completed.
“The construction work is not just getting delayed, it has been entirely stopped for the last several weeks,” they alleged, further demanding that the flyover be completed at the earliest.
DCP Meena rushed to the accident site to pacify the protesters and assured them that the authorities concerned will look into their demand. Police said efforts are being made to nab the driver soon. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his grief over the incident. He announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of the deceased.