Hyderabad: A joyride turned tragic on Sunday night when a car driver, allegedly distracted by checking his social media account on his mobile phone, veered across lanes on the Jurala barrage in Jogulamba Gadwal district, causing a collision that led to a 21-year-old pillion rider falling into the project waters.Mahesh, who was riding pillion with his friend Ramudu, has been missing since the accident, and a rescue operation is underway, Dharur police said on Monday.According to station house officer Sri Hari, Mahesh and three friends had gone to the barrage on two motorcycles. After taking photos and spending time on the barrage, the group began heading back. At that moment, a car coming from the opposite direction swerved wildly from the extreme left to right, colliding with the bike carrying Mahesh and Ramudu.“Seeing the car about to crash into them, Mahesh jumped off the bike in panic. But due to the speed and momentum, he kept moving forward and toppled over the 3-ft-high railing, falling from the top of the barrage into the waters below,” the SHO told TOI. Initially, no one realised that Mahesh had fallen. Ramudu, who was injured in the crash, was shifted to an ambulance. “While in the ambulance, he asked about Mahesh. But the staff said they had found no one else at the scene,” police said. Ramudu was shifted to Kurnool govt hospital. The other friends too were puzzled, insisting Mahesh had been with them. Meanwhile, the car driver, who was caught by passersby at the spot, denied that there was a pillion rider. However, later in the night, police examined CCTV footage, which confirmed that Mahesh had indeed fallen from the top of the barrage. Since Sunday night, police and disaster management teams have been searching the waters, but as of Monday night, Mahesh remained untraced. Only one of his two slippers was recovered from the river. Mahesh hails from Budidapadu village of Manavapadu mandal.
