Elderly man killed as truck mows him down in Bankura

An elderly person was killed while on a morning walk after being hit by a sand-laden truck at Joypur in Bankura on Friday morning.

Police said the victim was a local resident and had gone out for a morning walk like every day.

Local people who witnessed the incident told police that the truck was moving at a high speed and it seemed as if the driver had fallen asleep on the wheel. As a result, he couldn't control the loaded truck on finding the elderly man in front of his vehicle all of a sudden.

Police caught the driver and during interrogation, they came to know that he had been in a hurry to reach his destination to unload the sand. Thus, he had been driving the vehicle recklessly. The truck stopped when it collided with a tree after hitting the elderly man.

Local people rushed to the spot soon after the accident and took the elderly person to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The incident led to tension in the area as local people put up a road block protesting the accident that claimed the life of a person.

The road block continued for around half an hour and it was withdrawn after senior police officers intervened. The officers assured the local people that all necessary steps will be taken to avoid further accidents on the thoroughfare.

Senior police officers have also urged the local people to create awareness in the community that one should avoid such busy thoroughfares for morning walks.

Police said that truck drivers are usually in a hurry in the morning as they have to reach their destination on time as entry may be barred on many important roads.