Cuttack: (Report- Rupashree S Mohanty):  A serious road accident took place on the Oranda overbridge early Friday morning. This overbridge falls under the Gurudijhatia police area in Athagarh. At around 4:00 AM, two large commercial vehicles collided on the highway. A fast-moving truck carrying stone chips crashed directly into the back of a slow-moving transport vehicle. The second vehicle carried a heavy load of iron rods. Sadly, the driver of the first truck lost his life at the accident scene. 
NH-55 Accident: Fatal Truck Crash on Oranda Overbridge


Details of the Incident

Reports state that the truck with stone chips traveled from Cuttack towards Athagarh. The driver moved at a high speed. He failed to slow down in time on the overbridge and hit the heavy transport vehicle ahead of him. The iron rods extended far out from the back of the front truck. These metal rods caused severe damage to the front cabin of the fast-moving truck. The driver became trapped inside his damaged vehicle and passed away immediately.

Emergency Response and Rescue

Local citizens quickly informed the authorities about the morning crash. The Athagarh Fire Services team and the Gurudijhatia Police responded to the emergency call. They arrived at the location right away. The rescue teams saw that the front part of the truck had suffered heavy damage. Firefighters used special metal-cutting equipment to open the doors. They worked continuously for almost an hour to carefully remove the driver from the vehicle. After the rescue operation, the police officers secured the area. They seized both commercial vehicles and transported them to the local police station.

Ongoing Police Investigation

A police officer from Gurudijhatia shared details about the ongoing investigation. The authorities sent the driver to the Athagarh Sub-Divisional Hospital for a standard medical examination. The police believe that high speed caused the crash. They also suspect that the driver might have felt sleepy during the early morning trip. Furthermore, investigators are measuring the metal rods on the second truck. They want to check if the load extended past the legal safety limits.

Highway Traffic and Community Requests

The collision caused major problems for morning commuters. Traffic stopped completely on National Highway 55. Cars and trucks waited in long lines for almost two hours. The police eventually brought a large crane to the bridge. The crane carefully removed the damaged trucks from the road. After the cleanup, vehicles began moving normally again. The police officially registered a case to continue their legal work. Meanwhile, people living near the bridge expressed their safety concerns. These local residents asked the government to install bright streetlights. They also demanded new speed-control measures to stop drivers from driving too fast and to prevent future highway accidents.