Five men lost their lives and one person was injured after a speeding truck hit them on a highway in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district in the early hours of Sunday, police said. The accident took place around 1 am on the Jabalpur–Amarkantak National Highway, near Kikratalaab village under the limits of Gadasarai police station.
The group was returning home in a pickup vehicle when the incident occurred.
According to police, the vehicle suffered a tyre puncture. The driver stopped and got down to replace it, and the passengers also stepped out onto the road.
“A speeding truck ran over them. The driver told us he dozed off and could not see the victims," Dindori Superintendent of Police Vahni Singh told PTI.
Officials said the truck driver also claimed that the victims were standing in the middle of the road at the time of the crash. Five people, including the pickup vehicle’s driver, died on the spot. One person sustained injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Police have arrested the truck driver and further investigation is underway.
Four killed as truck hits pick-up vehicle in Nashik
Earlier on Saturday, a tragic road accident in Maharashtra’s Nashik district claimed four lives and left seven others injured. The incident involved a collision between a truck and a pick-up vehicle that later caught fire.
The accident occurred near Shindewadi Shivar on the Shaha–Panchale road in Sinnar taluka at around 1.15 am. Police said a group of nearly a dozen people was returning to Panchale village after attending a religious function at a relative’s house in the Pangri area.
According to officials, a truck coming from the opposite direction struck the pick-up vehicle. After the impact, the truck dragged the smaller vehicle for nearly 100 feet. Soon after, the pick-up vehicle went up in flames.
Three people died after being burnt in the fire. An elderly woman travelling with the group also died due to severe mental shock caused by the incident. Seven other passengers sustained injuries and were taken for treatment.
