KOCHI: A red killer claimed one more life in the city on Tuesday. A 45-year-old man was killed and his wife seriously injured after a private bus rammed into his two-wheeler from behind and crushed him to the rear of another private bus parked on the spot. Traffic Circle Inspector Francis Shelby said the accident occurred near the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The bus, ‘Karuthipadam’, has been taken into custody. “We arrested the driver of the bus and charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder under IPC 304,” Francis Shelby said.
He said the accident was due to the negligence of the driver, Joemon, 25, of Adimali. “We will produce him before court on Wednesday,” he said.
The police official said the deceased has been identified as Thomas, 45, of Nazreth. The condition of his wife Shallet is said to be stable. The police said though the victim was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital he could not be saved. Though the district administration has launched road safety awareness week from January 1 it has not helped people in any way. A senior motor vehicle officer said the public should react on the spot to control reckless driving.
“The administration has been launching various traffic awareness camps in the city. But they are of no use as the number of accident deaths is on the rise,” the official said. He said the public should react strongly against speeding private buses.
Reacting to the incident, RTO C G Michael said many private bus drivers still do not have valid licence.
“Though we are taking stringent action against them, the situation continues to be the same. In the coming days, the administration will initiate stringent measures to nab speeding private buses,” he said.
kochi@expressbuzz.com