Patna: Four people were killed on the spot and more than 10 injured when a speeding 18-wheeler truck ran over an e-rickshaw in Saran district late Sunday night. The accident occurred on the Muzaffarpur-Chhapra NH-722 near a toll plaza under Bheldi police station.The deceased were identified as Farooq Mian, a resident of Sultan Ganj under Amnour police station; his daughter-in-law Shaheeda Khatoon, wife of Ibrahim Mian; his granddaughter Shana Parveen; and Suresh Pandit, a cyclist and son of Deepan Pandit of Sonho.The injured were identified as Irshad, Dilshad Ansari, son of Iliyas Ansari, and Junaid Ansari, son of Alamgir Ansari.According to preliminary information, Farooq had gone to Garkha for medical treatment with his family in an e-rickshaw. After receiving treatment, they were returning home when the accident occurred near the toll plaza. The Hyva, travelling from Maker towards Chhapra, reportedly lost control and collided head-on with the rickshaw.The impact completely damaged the e-rickshaw, killing three occupants on the spot. The uncontrolled truck also hit a cyclist, who died in the crash.The truck further demolished a pole carrying an 11,000-volt electricity line. The driver abandoned the vehicle at the site and fled.Bheldi police reached the spot soon after the accident and took stock of the situation. The crash triggered a major traffic jam, leaving hundreds of trucks and other vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway.Grieving relatives and local residents protested and initially refused to clear the road. Maker police station SHO Sangram Singh reached the spot with additional personnel and tried to pacify the protesters and restore traffic movement.SHO Singh said, “The bodies were sent to the Sadar Hospital for post-mortem. The injured are also being treated at the hospital. We are trying to identify the fleeing truck driver.”
