A 76-year-old man was killed when a speeding garbage truck operated by the civic body knocked down his scooter on Thanisandra main road on Thursday. This is the second such accident to have occurred in 10 days: On March 21, a 14-year-old girl was mowed down by a garbage truck in front of Hebbal police station.
In Thursday’s incident, the deceased, Ramaiah – a farmer from Sampigehalli – was returning home after attending a family function on his scooter. His family was following him in a car. “According to eye-witness accounts, when the speeding truck knocked down his scooter, Ramaiah lost his balance, fell, and was run over by the truck,” said a police officer.
The driver sped away soon after the accident and abandoned the truck, which was later recovered by the police a few yards away from the accident spot. The police have taken up a case of death due to negligence and hit-and-run, and efforts are on to track down the driver.
The death of two people – a teenager and a senior citizen – in road accidents involving BBMP garbage trucks has sparked anger among citizens who blame the authorities for apathy. The 14-year-old Class IX student, Akshaya, was run over while she was attempting to cross the road opposite Hebbal underpass to return home after sitting for her exam. As the underpass was waterlogged due to a spate of heavy rains the previous day, pedestrians had no option but to cross the busy road.
