Truck crashes into showroom, 2 killed

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 26

Five persons have been killed in two road accidents in Patran block of the district in the past 24 hours.

In a freak accident that took place on Friday night around 1.30 am, a truck laden with vegetables rammed into a showroom at the main chowk of Patran. The driver and his helper were killed.

Patran SHO Ranbir Singh said the accident seemingly occurred due to a sharp turn at the chowk. The driver must have failed to notice the sharp turn, apparently due to fog.

He said: “The truck crashed into the basement of the showroom. The driver had reportedly come to the town for the first time, as such he was not familiar with the sharp turn at the main chowk.” The deceased have been identified as Istak (20) and Nasir (19), both residents of Rajasthan. It was learnt that there are no traffic lights at the main chowk.

Meanwhile, a 45-year-old woman, who was riding pillion, was killed after a truck hit the bike on the Patran-Jakhal road near Hamjehri village on Friday afternoon. The bike rider suffered injuries in the accident. A truck driver and his helper, along with the injured bike rider, chased the fleeing truck driver and made him pull over 1.5 km ahead. While the three were standing on the road, another truck hit them, killing the driver and his helper, who were helping the bike rider, on the spot and inflicting more injuries on the biker.

The deceased have been identified as Bimla Devi, the pillion rider of the bike, Prince and Amrik Singh who tried to help the bike rider in catching the fleeing driver.

The Patiala police have booked the drivers of both trucks under 279, 304-A, 337, 338 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code.