Boy crushed to death by speeding lorry near Mangaldevi on black Sunday

Mangalore, March 13: In a gruesome early-morning accident, a six-year-old boy was crushed to death in front of Mangaladevi Temple near Jeppu on Sunday when a mini-lorry rammed into a motorbike moving in the same direction.

The deceased has been identified as Prajwal, son of Ravi Rao Acharya, a resident of Hoige Bazar. The boy, who is studying in first standard, was returning home with his grandfather Shama Rao Acharya, aged 58, who was driving the Kawasaki Boxer motor bike.

Shama Rao has also sustained injuries and understood to have broken his hand in the accident. He was heading home after having his coffee along with his grandson. He had also purchased some vegetables and other stuff.

Shama Rao, has a lathe workshop at Hoge Bazar and his son Ravi is also in the same business. The accident happened when he was driving was about to take a deviation near the Mangaladevi temple towards Mulihitlu, but the 407 vehicle, which was laden with fruits and heading towards Uppala, crashed into the bike from behind.

Prajwal flung off the bike due to the impact of the accident and rolled over by the lorry. The impact of the accident was such that the scull of the boy had come out. But Shama Rao had a miraculous escape he was thrown off to a different direction and ended up fracturing his hand.

Residents of the Mangaladevi and surrounding areas expressed shock and grief over the incident and urged the police inspector Mr Gopalkrishna Rao, who visited the spot to take steps for erecting speed breakers on the Pandeshwar-Mangaladevi stretch and also demanded that road humps must be put up on the Mangaladevi temple-Cascia Highschool road as well.

The driver of the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the incident. A case has been registered by the traffic east police.