
BELAGAVI: Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar was seriously injured in a road accident on Tuesday at 5 am in Ambadgatti village near Kittur. Her brother, MLC Chennaraj Hattiholi, sustained a head injury in the same accident.
The minister and her brother were travelling back to Belagavi from Bengaluru in her official Toyota Innova SUV.
The driver lost control of the car and crashed the speeding vehicle into a tree. According to sources, the car first hit the edge of a lorry on the National Highway before skidding onto the service road and colliding with a tree.
The car was severely damaged in the accident. Hebbalkar and Chennaraj were seated in the back, while her gunman was in the front seat who along with the driver sustained minor injuries.
Following the accident, the minister and her brother were rushed to Vijaya Hospital in Belagavi.
According to orthopaedic surgeon Dr Ravi Patil, who is treating Hebbalkar, she sustained fractures in the L1 and L4 vertebrae in her back and is responding well to treatment. The minister also suffered a neck injury. Dr Patil stated that the minister would be discharged after a few days of observation.
Chennaraj, who was also being treated in the same hospital, sustained head injuries. However, as his injuries were minor, he was discharged after treatment.
Belagavi SP Bhimashankar Guled stated that the minister’s official car was accompanied by escort vehicles in front and behind. Incidentally, when the driver lost control, a truck was positioned between the minister’s car and the front escort vehicle.