BMTC bus kills pedestrian, rams seven parked vehicles

Bangalore, Aug 30: For 25-year-old Sanjay Mahesh Angadi , it was just another working day. He was walking on 1st Main, Chamarajpet, around noon when he heard a strange noise and turned around. To his shock, a BMTC bus was hurtling towards him and before he knew what was happening , it crushed him to death.

The bus was plying between Chamarajpet and Vijaynagar. The driver stopped at the Royan Circle and then started again. A few minutes later, he started going in a zig-zag manner, said a passenger. Initial investigation into the accident said it may have been a technical snag resulting in brake failure . The bus knocked down seven parked vehicles before mowing down Sanjay, a field executive with a private internet service company. The damaged vehicles included a water tanker, two autorickshaws , three two-wheelers and a goods auto carrier. Sanjay was walking to Chamarajpet 2nd Main to attend to a problem when the accident occurred . The technician, a native of Banahatti in Bagalkot, stayed in Rajajinagar I Block and is survived by wife Suma Angadi and a 6-month-old daughter.

Bus driver Naveen, attached to the 16th depot, fled the scene leaving behind the vehicle (KA 01 F 4955). He was later arrested by Chamarajpet police. "He claims the brakes failed. But we're waiting for the RTO officer's report which will confirm if there was any technical snag," police said.

Chaos after accident

Enraged onlookers pelted stones at the bus and damaged the windshield. Their fury increased when no BMTC official visited the spot and traffic was affected for nearly 30 minutes as over 40 protesters blocked traffic.

Balakrishna Gowda, a passenger in the killer bus, told mediapersons, "The bus started from Makkala Koota stop and suddenly started swerving. I stood up and saw the driver trying to stop the vehicle by standing on the brake pedal. The bus brushed a mini-truck and headed to the parked vehicles. Only after getting down did we hear that a pedestrian had died," he said. Autorickshaw driver Shanta Kumar saw the driver taking an injured person in an auto. "After the accident, the driver got down and bundled Nanjunde Gowda, who sustained injuries to his right leg, into an auto and left the accident spot," he said.

Sanjay's colleagues staged a protest outside the KIMS hospital mortuary, condemning BMTC officials for running buses with technical snags. BMTC announced compensation of Rs 15,000 to his family.