New Year celebrations turned sour as three persons, including two picnickers were killed and five others were injured in three separate road mishaps in and around the city on Sunday.
Again at about 3 pm, five persons were injured as a car hit an autorickshaw near Keenan Stadium under Bistupur police station area. According to police, the first mishap took place at about 7 am when a man who worked as a cleaner of a long-distance bus was run over by the bus while he was washing it at the Sitaramdera bus terminus. The mishap victim was identified as Raju Prasad, a resident of Old Baradwari.
As the victim was busy in washing the bus, the vehicle suddenly started and ran over him, causing him to come under one of the rear wheels. The victim's had apparently died on the spot as he had got his head under the rear wheel. He was rushed to the MGM Medical College and Hospital emergency where he was declared as brought dead.
Officer-in-charge, Sitaramdera police station Ramji Mahto confirmed about the mishap, adding that the bus that caused the mishap has been seized and driver arrested.
In another incident two picnickers were fatally injured as the bike they were riding was hit by a speeding mini-truck at 9 am on Tata-Kandra Road at Kandra Turning under Kandra police station area.
The victims identified as Tapas Mondal (28) and Anoop Kumar (28) were rushed to the MGM Medical College and Hospital's emergency where both of them were declared as brought dead.
These picnickers were workers in the Adityapur industrial area and residents of Adityapur and Gamharia. Officer-in-charge, Kandra police station, Mamta Kumari confirmed about the fatal mishap, and said that though the mini-truck has been seized, but failed to arrest the drive.
In yet another mishap, five persons were injured as a car hit an auto-rickshaw on Straight Mile Road near Keenan Stadium in Bistupur. The mishap took place as the car was negotiating a turning near the Keenan Stadium, but the empty auto-rickshaw hit the four-wheeler directly.