KOCHI: A two-wheeler rider met with a tragic end after he was thrown off the scooter as it ran into a pothole in front of Mar Athanasius School at Nedumbassery on the national highway.
Hashim, 52, a resident of Manakkapady in Paravur, was returning after work when his scooter hit the pothole.
An unidentified truck that came from behind ran over Hashim as he fell on the road. The incident occurred at 10.30 pm on Friday.
Hashim was working at a hotel in Angamaly.
The police said they are examining the CCTV footage from the area to identify the vehicle which sped away after the incident. An investigation is underway.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials filled the pothole on the road immediately after the incident.
Meanwhile, Kerala Public Works Minister PA Muhammad Riyas accused the Union Government of apathy in repairing the national highways even after repeated requests sent by him.
"Several letters have been sent to the Union Government pointing out the issues on the Thrissur-Angamaly stretch on the NH, including the place where the accident took place. However, they have not paid adequate attention to it. The issue was brought to the attention of the Legislative Assembly also," Riyas said.
The dangers that potholes in Kerala pose was raised by development economist Professor KP Kannan in a recent column on newindianexpress.com. He had written that "although there are good roads in some stretches in the state, many of the narrower roads -- other than highways and major roads -- are replete with potholes that have turned dangerous for motorists. Often the borders of roads have no protective build and there is always the risk of this leading to dangerous falls."
His column that looked at the issue in depth is below: