Hyderabad: 8 crushed between two trucks at ORR toll

HYDERABAD: Eight youngsters were crushed to death when a truck rammed into their stationary Tavera vehicle at an Outer Ring Road (ORR) toll gate in Medchal late on Tuesday night.
The victims — Md Akeel, 19, Mohammed Irfan alias Ibrahim, 17, Nishad, 24, Feroz, 24, Md Akbar, 28, Mohammed Shekavath, 30, Md Imroz, 25, and Mohammed Sameer, 20, and all residents of Sadashivpet in Medak district — were coming to the city for a 'valima' function at Kompally.Their friend, Abbas, survived with severe injuries.
At 11 pm, the youth were on their way to Kompally to attend the valima function of Irfan's sister at ANR Gardens.
“The Tavera (AP 09 AW 5670) stopped behind a 12-wheel truck at the toll booth. As they were waiting for their turn, another truck (AP 29 TA 3380) came from the rear at a very high speed and rammed into the Tavera. The four-wheeler got crushed between the two trucks and eight of the nine occupants died on the spot,“ assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Pet Basheerabad, S Ashok Kumar said.
Among the eight victims, two were B Tech graduates and the rest Intermediate and degree students. After the accident, the erring truck driver, Shailendra Pandey, fled from the spot, but police nabbed him on Wednesday evening. Cops said there was poor lighting at the toll booth and rumble strips installed before the booth to slow down oncoming vehicles had worn off.
During the preliminary probe, police found that the CCTV camera at the toll plaza, managed by Eagle Infra Limited, was not functioning and there were several shortcomings, which could be the reasons for the mishap. Until the motorists reach close to the toll plaza, they would not know about its existence as there are no sign boards, reflectors or blinkers. Ironically, the toll operator placed drums to make vehicles form a queue and they too did not have radium stickers.
“Since the vehicles were coming with over 100 kmph speed, with absolutely no sign boards about the toll plaza, and with no speed breakers to control the speed, the accident was waiting to happen. The prime reason for the accident was insufficient lighting at the plaza," a Cyberabad police officer told TOI.
Police had registered a case under section 304-A (death due to rash or negligent act) and 337 (Causing hurt by an act which endangers human life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) initially, but the ACP said that they would alter the section to 304 (ii) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.