Neelamangala accident: Tried avoiding hitting car in front, lost control, claims truck driver

Bengaluru: The driver of the truck involved in the accident in Nelamangala which killed six people, claimed on Monday that there was a car ahead of his vehicle and to prevent collision, he turned the steering wheel towards the road divider which led to the accident.

Police, however, refused to share details about the investigation, claiming it will hamper their probe.

According to police, a Deputy Superintendent of Police rank officer is investigating the case and said a detailed investigation is being carried out to ascertain the cause of the accident. The CCTV cameras installed in and around the area of the accident site are also being verified as part of the probe.

“A DYSP rank officer is investigating the case. We are also doing a case study, keeping in mind the road safety aspects as well. At this stage, we do not want to reveal any details which would further hamper the probe,” a senior police officer said.

Speaking to reporters, the Jharkhand-based truck driver, Arif, who was hospitalised with injuries sustained during the accident, claimed that there was a car ahead of his truck, and that he was going at 40 kmph.

“The car driver applied sudden brakes and I lost control of my vehicle. To save the car, I turned the steering wheels towards the road divider on the right. But then I saw another car, and took a left again. Due to this, the container which was loaded with steel fell,” he added.

The truck driver was unaware that a SUV car got crushed beneath his vehicle and that it led to the death of six of the family, police said.

The accident occurred at Nelamangala near Talekere on the Bengaluru outskirts last Saturday. The family was on the way to Vijayapura.