Thekkatte: Tanker-car collision, 4 students miraculously escape unhurt

Thekkatte: Four students travelling in a car miraculously escaped unhurt after being hit by a tanker lorry at the main circle here on the NH-66 at 4.25 pm on Saturday, January 28.

Four friends, all natives of Gauhati, had rented a car to visit temples in the district. They had reportedly completed their engineering in Manipal.

The accident reportedly happened when the car attempted to enter National Highway from Thekkatte-Malyadi rural road without proper indications. As a result, the car’s right side brushed with the tanker lorry moving on the highway.

Eyewitnesses said that the timely action by the lorry driver saved the lives of the students. The lorry driver applied full brakes on noticing the car entering the highway at high speed and managed to control the heavy vehicle in time to avert a major tragedy, sources said.

The right side of the car was completely damaged in the incident.

Locals said that the circle at Thekkatte has turned into an accident zone. They point out that the circle is constructed unscientifically. There are bus shelters on both sides of the circle, where buses parked on the highway board and deboard passengers.

Moreover, the number of hoardings on both sides of the highway has risen in the recent past, blocking the view of motorists. The general layout of the circle confuses motorists leading to accidents. Locals urged the concerned officials to rectify the issues to avoid any tragedies.