Five Bengaluru tourists killed as speeding Innova crashes into parked lorry in Chitradurga

Chitradurga: In a tragic accident, five people from Bengaluru lost their lives when their speeding Innova crashed into a parked lorry near Sibara village in Chitradurga district. The accident occurred on National Highway 48 while they were returning from the Savadatti Yallamma temple in Belagavi.  

According to reports, the Toyota Innova rammed into the lorry from behind, and the driver seemingly did not apply brakes, leading to a fatal impact. The crash was so severe that all five passengers in the car died on the spot, while another person sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the district hospital.  

The Chitradurga Rural Police rushed to the scene after being alerted by highway commuters. Initially, the identities of the deceased were unclear. However, upon retrieving documents from the vehicle, police confirmed that all five victims were from Bengaluru.  

The deceased have been identified as:  
- Shantamurthy (60) – Retired BMTC employee  
- Rudraswamy (52) – Resident of Vidyaranyapura  
- Mallikarjuna (50) – Resident of Iranna Block, Bengaluru North  
- Chidambarachar (52)  
- One more person, whose identity is yet to be confirmed  

The injured passenger is undergoing treatment, and further details about their condition are awaited.  

District Superintendent of Police Ranjith Kumar Bandaru, ASP Kumaraswamy, and DYSP Dinakar visited the accident site and conducted an inspection.  

Speaking to the media, SP Ranjith Kumar Bandaru stated, “The accident happened near Tamatakallu in Chitradurga district. The Innova was moving at high speed and collided with a parked lorry on the left side of the road. Preliminary investigation suggests that the driver did not apply brakes, which resulted in the fatal crash.”

A person named Prasad, associated with the Renuka Yellamma temple, was also found in the vehicle, indicating that the group was returning from a temple visit.  

Authorities suspect that overspeeding and driver negligence led to the accident. Further investigation is underway.