ROURKELA: Traffic on National Highway-143 was paralysed for around seven hours on Friday as local residents staged road blockade at Ruptola in Balughat under RN Pali police limits, protesting the death of a teenage girl who was run over by a speeding car.
On Thursday afternoon, Sabina Surin (18) was killed after being hit by a four-wheeler along NH-143 at Ruptola chowk. Alleging that the car driver was under the influence of alcohol, hundreds of irate locals blocked the highway at around 12 noon.
The agitators demanded compensation for the girl’s family, regular deployment of police at Ruptola chowk and strict enforcement against reckless and drunken driving. Citing road engineering fault at the spot, they also demanded construction of a flyover.
Due to the blockade, hundreds of vehicles were forced to remain stranded on both sides of the highway. After receiving information, police reached the protest site and held discussion with the agitators. The blockade was lifted at around 7 pm following which normalcy was restored.
Police sources said the speeding car en route to Deogaon first rammed into a hand-cart and hit the deceased girl standing alongside the highway. While the girl was killed on the spot, another woman escaped with injuries. Due to the impact of the crash, the four-wheeler overturned, leaving two of its occupants injured.
Locals alleged that the occupants of the car were heavily drunk. After the incident, the injured car occupants were taken to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) from where they managed to escape.
Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Panposh Sushant Das said the body of the deceased girl has been preserved at the RGH morgue for autopsy on Saturday. The four-wheeler involve din the mishap has been seized. Efforts are underway to trace the occupants of the car and arrest them, he added.