A tragic road accident near Bangalore on Saturday claimed the lives of six family members, sparking a debate over the effectiveness of safe cars on dangerous roads. The family was traveling in a Volvo SUV when a container truck overturned, crushing the vehicle and leaving no survivors.
The accident took place on National Highway 48 near Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bangalore.
A preliminary police investigation made it possible to reconstruct the events leading to the tragic accident which cost the lives of six people. An Eicher truck, loaded with aluminum pillars weighing several tonnes, was heading towards Bangalore when the driver lost control while trying to avoid a collision with another vehicle.
Traveling at high speed, the truck swerved, crossed the central reservation and crashed into a Volvo car heading towards Tumakuru. The impact was devastating, leaving the Volvo badly damaged and causing fatalities. The truck also took some speed before stopping, but this speed sustained only minor damage.
A nearby CCTV camera captured the horrific moment the truck crushed the Volvo. Police are analyzing the footage as part of their ongoing investigation into the incident.
The victims of the tragic accident have been identified as Chandrayagappa Gaul (48), his wife Gaurabai (42) and their relatives Vijayalakshmi (36), John (16), Deeksha (12) and Arya (6). The family was traveling to Vijayapura when the incident took place.
Chandram Yegapagol, CEO and Managing Director of IAST Software Solutions, was a well-known personality in Bengaluru’s technology sector. A resident of HSR Layout, he hails from Morbagi village in Sangli district of Maharashtra.
Yegapagol had an impressive educational background, holding a diploma in electrical and electronics engineering from GPT Gulbarga, followed by a bachelor’s degree in engineering in the same field from the prestigious National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) Surathkal, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Eyewitnesses reported that the truck driver, Arif, lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a car that suddenly stopped in front of him. The truck then jumped the partition and collided with the Volvo SUV.
The family was traveling to Vijayapura when tragedy struck. According to a police officer, the truck landed on the car which was badly crushed and the bodies of the victims were dismembered.
The accident sparked a fierce debate on social media over road safety, with many users pointing out that even the safest vehicles cannot prevent deaths if other drivers behave recklessly.
DriveSmart, a social media account dedicated to promoting road safety, shared alarming footage from the accident scene where a Volvo SUV was crushed by a container truck, resulting in the death of six people.
Handle three are essential to safety (sic).”
In response to this post, some users pointed out that while Volvo is known for producing safe vehicles, no car can withstand the immense force of a container truck loaded with aluminum.
Others tagged Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari urging the government to implement stricter rules and regulations to improve road safety, stressing the need for stricter measures to prevent such catastrophic accidents at the future.
During a recent debate on road safety in Parliament, Union Minister Gadkari admitted that the number of accidents had increased significantly. “Forget about reducing the number of accidents, I have no hesitation in admitting that it has increased. This is one area where our department has failed,” Gadkari remarked during the winter session of Parliament.
He also expressed frustration at the lack of fear of the law, despite the high number of deaths in road accidents. “Some don’t wear helmets, some jump the red signal,” he said during Question Time, describing the “strange” situation.
The union minister pointed out that improper parking of trucks on roads significantly contributes to accidents, noting that many trucks do not respect lane discipline.
Government data reveals that more than 1.78 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents in India last year, averaging about 470 deaths per day. A large proportion of victims are in the age group of 18 to 34.
