In a heart-wrenching accident early Wednesday morning, a young man identified as Harekrushna Mahalik from Gobara village lost his life in a head-on collision between a car and a dumper truck at Baligohiri Chhak under Ward No. 7 of the Nilgiri NAC.
According to reports, Harekrushna was travelling with his uncle—who was driving the car—to pick up a relative from the local station when their vehicle collided with a dumper near the Baligohiri junction. The impact was so severe that the car was left completely mangled. Harekrushna was declared dead at Nilgiri hospital, while his uncle sustained serious injuries and was referred to SCB Medical College, Cuttack.
Disturbingly, the dumper driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. The incident has caused widespread outrage among locals, especially since the victim’s wedding was scheduled for June 27. As relatives and villagers mourned the untimely death, scores of men and women from Gobara and nearby areas gathered at the crash site to block the Sheragada-Udala 19-number highway at Baligohiri Chhak. They are demanding immediate justice and proper compensation for the bereaved family.
Despite the presence of police at the scene, the atmosphere remained tense for hours. Emergency services, including fire personnel, assisted in retrieving the injured and deceased from the vehicle.
The tragedy has sparked intense debate about road safety, traffic regulation, and accountability for heavy vehicles plying the region. Authorities are investigating the incident.
