Bengaluru: 3 die as car rams into median

BENGALURU: Three members of a family died in an accident, while three other escaped with injuries when their car rammed into a divider, after the driver reportedly fell asleep, on NICE Road in Thalghattapura police station limits on Thursday morning.

Police said the accident took place around 6.30 am in Somapura. The six family members, residing in Banshankari, were heading towards the city from Kalaburagi in a Maruti 800 after attending the 11th day death ceremony of their relative.       

According to the police, the deceased have been identified as Shivakumar, 28, a mobile phone shop owner, who was driving the car, his sister Bhageerathi, 35, who was sitting next to him and his father Ramchandra, 75. Shivakumar’s mother Basamma, 60 and Bhageerathi’s children Bharath, 12 and Bindu, 10 sustained injuries and were rushed to R.R. Nagar hospital.

Police said that the family had left for Bengaluru on Wednesday evening around 4.30 pm on Wednesday and reached NICE Road around 6.30 am. As Shivakumar was driving continuously for over 14 hours, he fell asleep and lost control over the vehicle. The car then hit the divider.

While Shivakumar and Bhageerathi, sustained head injuries and died on their way to hospital, Ramchandra, succumbed later in he hospital. Basamma and the two children are said to be out of danger. Thalghattapura police have registered a case and begun investigation.