Drunk driver crashes lorry into auto-rickshaw in Telangana, leaves six dead
WARANGAL: A speeding lorry, driven allegedly by a drunken man, smashed into an auto-rickshaw on the Warangal-Khammam highway at the outskirts of Illanda village in Wardhannapet mandal here on Wednesday, leaving six people dead. Wardhannapet ACP V Suresh said that the lorry driver was under the influence of alcohol and was speeding at the time of the mishap.
The victims were identified as 42-year-old Battu Srinivasa, the auto driver, and Jabothu Kureri, 25, Nithin Mandal, 12, Arjun Mandal, 20, Suresh Kureri, 30 and Rupchand Damin, 35, hailing from Jaipur, Rajasthan. They were residents of the Labour Colony in Warangal and used to collect honey from the forest to sell. Their associate, Amir Damin, 18, sustained injuries and was shifted to a private hospital in Hanamkonda.
The auto-rickshaw was on its way to Thorrur mandal in Mahabubabad district when the accident occurred. The victims were shifted to the Community Health Centre at Wardhannapet for postmortem examination.
Warangal Police Commissioner AV Ranganath, who visited the spot, directed ACP Suresh and his team to conduct a thorough inquiry into the accident and to implement measures to prevent future accidents in and around the crash site.
ACP Suresh said that the victims were on their way to collect honey from the forests of Thorrur mandal when the accident occurred. He said that a case has been registered under Section 304A IPC (causing death by negligence) and the truck driver has been taken into custody.
Meanwhile, residents of Illanda village cited a history of major accidents at the spot over the past three months, resulting in fatalities. They said that they approached the CP and local authorities, requesting a speed-breaker and diversion of traffic to mitigate the risks.