Police suspect truck driver may have dozed off, other drivers point otherwise

The Chitradurga Police have booked a case against the driver of the truck that hit the private sleeper bus, causing the fire. Six persons, including the truck driver, died in the accident.

The driver, belonged to KMR Roadlines in Haryana, was carrying beverages from Supa in Maharashtra to Nelamangala near Bengaluru. When The Hindu contacted the office of KMR Roadlines at Palwal in Haryana, an employee of the firm, Anil Kumar said that the driver, Kuldeep, was from Uttar Pradesh. He was alone in the truck.

The police suspect that he must have dozed off at the wheel and lost control over the vehicle, leading to the accident.

However, other bus and truck drivers at the spot pointed out that within a distance of eight km towards Hiriyur from the accident spot, there are two road diversions to the service road due to ongoing road works. Considering the road diversions, chances of the driver dozing off are rare. “As he was alert while taking diversions a couple of kilometres before, one cannot expect him to fall asleep so soon,” opined Pradeep, a taxi driver who drives his car regularly on the highway.

The police have registered the complaint against the driver, though his name is not mentioned in the FIR, on charges of rash driving and causing death by negligent driving.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that senior department officials were rushed to the spot and an inquiry was under way to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. “We broadly know the cause of the accident, but we will conduct an in-depth investigation,” he said.

Mr. Reddy clarified that the documents of the private sleeper bus were in order. “We have checked the permit, insurance and licence. Everything is valid,” he said.