Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Jan 19: The rider of a motor bike was seriously injured after the two-wheeler he was riding got involved in head-on collision with a jeep at Kambalabettu Junction at Vittal on Puttur Road on Monday January 18.

Roopesh (28), a resident of Adyanadka in Kepu village suffered extensive injuries in this accident. He was moving to Puttur from the direction of Vittal on Monday morning, when his vehicle collided with a jeep coming from the direction of Puttur at Kambalabettu Junction. After Roopesh was thrown on to the road due to the impact of the accident, he suffered grievous injuries to his legs and hands. He was taken to a hospital in Mangaluru by 108 ambulance sometime later.

The victim was writhing in pain because of deep injuries in the accident on the road. Some locals volunteered to take him to the government hospital at Puttur, but auto rickshaw drivers refused to ply to the town, citing that police personnel there have been stopping auto rickshaws bearing registration number starting with KA 19 and imposing huge fines on a regular basis. This stand of the auto rickshaw drivers irked the locals. As they had no other go, they waited for half an hour before 108 ambulance came there.

The auto rickshaw drivers agreed that going to the hospital at Puttur as early as possible is of utmost importance for the accident victims, but claimed that auto rickshaws registered at Mangaluru are stopped by the policemen of Puttur and penalized on a regular basis for entering their jurisdiction. They explained that they are therefore hesitant to go to Puttur.