At least three people were killed and three others seriously injured when a speeding car ran over several people who were having tea at a roadside stall after ramming into several vehicles in Bhubaneswar, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Gajapati Nagar area under Maitri Vihar police station limits, on the road connecting Acharya Vihar to Nalco Square in the city, on Monday evening.
A fast electric car hit several two-wheelers and an auto-rickshaw on the road before crashing into a group of people who were having tea near a roadside stall.
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While two persons named Jerome Ekka and Santosh Behera succumbed to their injuries on Monday night, another person, identified as Laxmidhar Tudu, died during treatment at the hospital here on Tuesday morning. Police said three other people were taken to hospital.
Meanwhile, police identified the driver of the car as Anil Kumar Gowda (30) of Gangapur area in Ganjam district. He surrendered himself to the police. “The breathalyzer test conducted on the driver showed a breathalyzer reading of zero, indicating that he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the test,” police said.
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However, during the preliminary examination, the accused driver stated that he had taken cough medicine and had a severe cough before the accident. According to his statements, the police said that he lost control of the car due to a sudden coughing fit.
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However, the police said that the exact cause and circumstances of the accident will be determined after completing the investigation and examining all available evidence.
