“I have lost a son, who had come of age.” So said the mother of one of five young men killed when their car left its lane near Nelamangala, on the edge of Bengaluru, and ran into a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus.
Police said the car was heading toward Bengaluru at about midnight on Saturday when it allegedly hit the divider, crossed to the opposite lane and met the oncoming bus. The impact killed four of the car’s occupants where they sat. The fifth was critically injured and rushed to hospital, but he died there.
All the dead were between 17 and 22 years old, and all lived in Doddabballapura. The car was badly damaged.
The 43 passengers on the bus all got off without major injuries. They were moved onto another bus to continue their trip.
What police are checking
Officials suspect the car was speeding and that the driver lost control. Joint Commissioner of Police Karthik Reddy said investigators will also look at whether the driver and the others in the car had been drinking. “We have gathered blood samples and have sent them to FSL for tests. Their background is also being verified,” he told reporters.
Madanayakanahalli police have registered a case, and the investigation continues.
A mother’s account
The woman who spoke to reporters said her son had told her he was going to a temple and would be late. He worked as a CCTV camera operator. “They are friends, I don’t know whose car it is,” she said.
