Kolkata: Two persons were killed, and another was injured after a medium goods vehicle rammed into the rear of a truck on NH-16 at Bagnan in Howrah district early Tuesday.
According to sources, the medium goods vehicle, carrying chickens, was travelling along the Kolkata-bound lane of NH-16 from Deulti towards Joypur in Howrah. While passing through the Barundah area in Bagnan, it crashed into a truck that was moving slowly ahead of it.
The impact threw the helper out of the vehicle’s cabin, while the driver and another occupant were trapped inside. Local residents initially attempted to rescue those trapped but were unsuccessful. Police later arrived at the spot and managed to pull the two men out of the cabin.
All three were taken to Bagnan Rural Hospital, where the driver and the other trapped occupant were declared brought dead. The helper sustained injuries and has been admitted to the hospital.
Preliminary suspicion is that the driver of the medium goods vehicle may have fallen asleep at the wheel. It is believed that in a reflex action, his foot pressed the accelerator, causing the vehicle to pick up speed, while he failed to steer away in time to avoid the collision.
However, police said a probe has been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of the accident, including whether the truck driver had violated any traffic norms that may have contributed to the crash.