BENGALURU: Eight teenage boys set off on a fun drive on Saturday, but within minutes, they had crashed into a tree and two of them were dead.
The accident occurred at Budigere Cross near Devanahalli when the boys were on the way to Nandi Hills. Police blamed reckless driving for the accident.
Kiran Kumar, resident of Kattagollahalli near KR Puram and son of Sampath Kumar, was driving the car, and is among the two dead. The other casualty is Charles, son of Wilson, also a businessman. His mother is a political party worker. Eight boys were in the car, all between 16 and 18.
Kiran had celebrated his birthday on Friday, and offered to take his friends out for a party on Saturday, his grandfather, a resident of Vijayapura, told the police (see box).
A first PUC commerce student in Silicon City College, Kiran had packed the Hyundai Verna with seven friends, besides himself.
Jayakumar, Avinash, Sheshadri, Kiran Kumar, Mani Kumar, and Srinivas Bhat were the others in the car.
The incident occurred around 10.45 am when the students were zipping on the highway in the new Verna.
Kiran was at the wheel of his father’s car, and had told his parents he was taking his friends to Nandi Hills. Some of his friends had not informed their parents, though. Their college bags were found in the car. The friends had assembled at one spot before leaving the city.
Manjunath, a neighbour of Charles’ family, rushed to the spot when he heard about the accident. “When I reached, three of the students had already been taken to hospital. Jayakumar was traumatised and screaming,” he said.
Charles was friendly and mixed easily with people in the neighbourhood, according to Manjunath. He was good at studies and always told his parents where he was going, he said.
A senior police officer said preliminary investigations suggest reckless driving caused the accident. “Kiran had no driving licence. We are yet to take a statement from his parents, who are in shock,” he said.
Adilakshmi, principal of Silicon City College, said Kiran had not turned up at college on Saturday. “He is our student. We have no information about the others,” she told Express.
Car Hit a Hump
The car first hit a small hump and sailed over it. It then crashed into the tree, and toppled twice in the adjoining land. Two boys were thrown out of the car when its roof blew off. Mani Kumar, one of the boys, called an ambulance over his mobile.
“I saw it all. I rushed and pulled out two of the boys, who were lying in pool of blood, and alerted others in the area,” said Narayanaswamy, an eyewitness.
‘Never Before, Never Again’
Sub-inspector Krishna Kumar of Channarayapatna (Devanahalli) police station has seen several accidents, but none as devastating as this one.
When Express asked why the car’s airbags had not opened up, he said, “The impact was so big nothing could have saved them. I have never seen such an accident in my life, and I don’t expect to see another like this ever again.” He said it was a miracle that six of the eight boys had survived the crash. One of them is showing encouraging signs, while the other five are in ICU.
Tragic Morning
9.15 am: Seven boys gather near a college in K R Puram. Kiran calls to say he is on the way in his dad’s new Verna.
9.45 am: Kiran reaches spot and his friends get into his car.
10.15 am: They leave the city and head towards Nandi Hills.
10.45 am: The car sails over a hump, hits a tree and topples over twice.
11 am: Survivors are rushed to a hospital in Whitefield. Channarayapatna police reach the spot, send bodies of Kiran and Charles to Government Hospital in Devanahalli for post mortem.