Tragic Accident: 55-Year-Old Man Killed by Speeding Truck in Bhubaneswar | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: A 55-year-old man died after being run over by a speeding truck on NH-16 near Palasuni Square Thursday morning. The man, Prashant Kumar Bej, is from Jajpur and was crossing the highway holding a bagful of vegetables when the truck rammed into him. The truck, coming from the Cuttack side, hit him, leading to his death on the spot. The truck driver, in the meantime, fled the scene.
Following the incident, angry locals of Palasuni village and nearby areas blocked the highway while the man’s body lay on the road for over two hours. “This is not the first time that a person died at Palasuni Square. This has become a regular affair. We demand action from the govt,” Samrat Baral, a protestor, said.
Meanwhile, the highway blockade created a massive traffic jam on NH-16, with hundreds of vehicles remaining stranded till Pahala for over four hours until 2:30 pm. Later, police came and managed to lift the blockade. “We seized the truck and registered a complaint. We will probe the matter,” said IIC, Mancheswar police station, MK Swain.
Palasuni residents and the protestors reiterated their demand for construction of a foot-over-bridge at the problematic juncture of the NH. “The foot-over-bridge is a necessity here. We have long been demanding and so far getting assurances from the govt only. God knows how many lives need to be sacrificed for this,” said Pintu Baliarsingh, a resident of Palasuni.
Notably, the NH stretch that runs through the city recently got two foot-over-bridges — at Nayapalli and Satsang Vihar — while a third one is proposed near Palasuni, but the construction is yet to take place. Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi in June this year took to X and informed about the finalisation of the tender for two foot-over-bridges — one at Palasuni and another near Rajdhani College in the Baramunda area. However, the construction of either of the bridges is yet to start. “This is very irresponsible of the administration. They don’t value the lives of humans, and it is evident from their acts,” said Niranjan Jena, another resident of Palasuni.
Following the incident, angry locals of Palasuni village and nearby areas blocked the highway while the man’s body lay on the road for over two hours. “This is not the first time that a person died at Palasuni Square. This has become a regular affair. We demand action from the govt,” Samrat Baral, a protestor, said.
Meanwhile, the highway blockade created a massive traffic jam on NH-16, with hundreds of vehicles remaining stranded till Pahala for over four hours until 2:30 pm. Later, police came and managed to lift the blockade. “We seized the truck and registered a complaint. We will probe the matter,” said IIC, Mancheswar police station, MK Swain.
Palasuni residents and the protestors reiterated their demand for construction of a foot-over-bridge at the problematic juncture of the NH. “The foot-over-bridge is a necessity here. We have long been demanding and so far getting assurances from the govt only. God knows how many lives need to be sacrificed for this,” said Pintu Baliarsingh, a resident of Palasuni.
Notably, the NH stretch that runs through the city recently got two foot-over-bridges — at Nayapalli and Satsang Vihar — while a third one is proposed near Palasuni, but the construction is yet to take place. Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi in June this year took to X and informed about the finalisation of the tender for two foot-over-bridges — one at Palasuni and another near Rajdhani College in the Baramunda area. However, the construction of either of the bridges is yet to start. “This is very irresponsible of the administration. They don’t value the lives of humans, and it is evident from their acts,” said Niranjan Jena, another resident of Palasuni.
