2 weeks ago
Bengaluru woman killed after bike skids on broken road
A lady named Medha was riding on the back of a two-wheeler in Bengaluru, a big city in India.
She was going with her colleague on a road that some people say was damaged and full of potholes.
Suddenly, a car in front stopped very quickly because a person walked towards the road.
The two-wheeler rider also braked hard to stop.
Because of the sudden stop, Medha fell off the vehicle and landed on the road.
At that moment, a small goods vehicle ran over her, and sadly she died from her injuries.
The driver of the goods vehicle drove away, so police are now checking CCTV cameras to find him.
People living nearby are upset and blocked the road, asking the city to fix the broken roads and potholes.
A government minister said he is sad about the death, but said that one pothole does not mean all the roads are bad.
The police are still investigating, and different reports say slightly different things about what happened.
Medha Akarsh, a 32-year-old EPF office employee and Kerala native, died after the two-wheeler she was riding pillion on skidded and she was run over by a mini goods vehicle in Bengaluru.
The accident happened around 9 am on Wednesday on Anantnagar Main Road in the Electronics City area (one report places it near Hebbagodi) as she travelled with colleague Ajay Guru from Anantnagar towards Singasandra.
A car ahead braked suddenly when a pedestrian walked towards the road; when Guru braked, Medha fell onto the road and a mini goods vehicle ran over her.
Reports differ on details: one says the goods vehicle came from the opposite direction while another says it was behind them, and sources disagree on whether she died on the spot or later in hospital; the driver fled and police are checking CCTV footage.
Locals staged a road blockade and candlelight protest blaming potholes and poor roads, while Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad said one pothole does not mean the entire infrastructure is poor.
- Who
- Medha Akarsh, a 32-year-old employee at the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) office, riding pillion on a two-wheeler driven by her colleague Ajay Guru.
- What
- Medha was thrown off the two-wheeler after sudden braking on a damaged road and was run over by a mini goods vehicle, dying from her injuries; the driver of the goods vehicle fled.
- Where
- Anantnagar Main Road in the Electronics City area of Bengaluru; one report places the accident near Hebbagodi.
- When
- Around 9 am on Wednesday.
- Why
- The two-wheeler skidded when Guru braked after a car ahead stopped for a pedestrian; locals blame the road's poor condition and potholes, while police cite sudden braking as the immediate cause.
Locals: damaged, potholed roads caused the accident
Police and minister: sudden braking was the immediate cause
Cause of the accident
Locals: damaged, potholed roads caused the accident
Locals say roads around Electronics City and Ananthnagar are riddled with potholes and dangerous, that civic authorities neglected the area, and that these road conditions caused the accident.
Police and minister: sudden braking was the immediate cause
Police say preliminary information points to sudden braking after a car stopped for a pedestrian as the immediate cause; one officer said there were no potholes on the particular stretch, while Minister Santosh Lad said a pothole could have contributed but that this alone does not mean the infrastructure is poor.
Quality and maintenance of local roads
Locals: damaged, potholed roads caused the accident
Protesting residents staged a road blockade and candlelight vigil, alleging civic authorities repeatedly dig up roads without repairing them, and demanded immediate repairs and better infrastructure.
Police and minister: sudden braking was the immediate cause
Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad said the government has spent substantial amounts on roads, provides justification for that spending every year, and hit out at the BJP's criticism of the state's roads.
Key facts
- Victim
- Medha Akarsh, 32
- Occupation
- Employee at the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) office
- Residence
- Native of Kerala; lived in Anantnagar, Bengaluru
- Time of accident
- Around 9 am, Wednesday
- Location
- Anantnagar Main Road, Electronics City, Bengaluru (one report says near Hebbagodi)
- Vehicles involved
- Two-wheeler and a mini goods vehicle
- Immediate cause per police
- Sudden braking after a car stopped for a pedestrian
- Surviving family
- Husband Akarsh and three-year-old son
Quotes
Karnataka Minister Santosh Lad
Government minister overseeing Karnataka’s infrastructure
“I am saddened by it (the death), and my sympathies are with the family. There could definitely have been a pothole. But a pothole does not mean that the entire infrastructure is poor or that we have not spent money. We have spent a lot of money, and every year we provide the necessary justification.”
NDTV
Resident
Local resident near Hebbagodi
“Every now and then they dig up the road here and don't repair it.”
NDTV
Sources
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