Tragic Road Accident in Barbil: 44-Year-Old Man Loses Life, Sparks Local Outrage
Barbil (Orissa Today) : Joda-Barbil Highway in mining region witnessed yet another tragic accident due to reckless overtaking, roadside parking and high-speed driving. A 44-year-old man, Santosh Das, lost his life in a fatal collision, while his companion sustained serious injuries.
Santosh Das, an office boy at Trishul Trade Pvt Ltd, an authorized dealer of Tata Hitachi, was traveling with his colleague Anant Barik on a motorcycle (OD 09 C 7230) towards Bhadrashahi from Barbil when the accident occurred. Near Serenda Dhaba, a heavy machine-carrying trailer was parked on the roadside, narrowing the passage for vehicles. As the duo attempted to overtake the trailer, a speeding Highway truck (OD 14 JD 1022) rammed into their bike from behind. The impact was so severe that Santosh Das succumbed to his injuries on the spot, while Anant Barik narrowly escaped with serious wounds.
Following the accident, local residents and colleagues of the deceased staged a protest, blocking the highway and demanding stricter regulations against illegal roadside parking and reckless driving. They alleged that frequent accidents occur on this route due to unauthorized parking and dangerous overtaking maneuvers.
The Barbil police arrived at the scene and managed to pacify the protesters after assuring them of necessary action. Authorities are now being urged to implement stronger road safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
This incident has once again highlighted the urgent need for better traffic management and enforcement of parking regulations on the roads and highways.
