A tragic road accident claimed the life of a 25-year-old man and left his friend seriously injured after their motorcycle skidded off the Kotibara bridge and fell nearly 30 feet into the Kotibara nala late Wednesday night.
The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Pradhan, a resident of Nuapalli village near Dungapalli under Jagannath Prasad police station limits. Pradhan, who had been working as a daily-wage labourer at a cement brick kiln in Kulada for the past few months, had gone with his friend to watch the Sapta Shambhu Danda Yatra and the accompanying dance performance at Uludan village in Tarasingh police station area.
After enjoying the late-night cultural programme, the two friends were speeding back towards Kulada on a motorcycle when the rider lost control on the narrow bridge around 2 am. The vehicle plunged 30 feet below, throwing both occupants onto the rocky bed of the nala.
Passers-by who witnessed the accident immediately alerted the Bhanjanagar police. A team, along with an ambulance, reached the spot and rushed the victims to Bhanjanagar Medical College Hospital. Doctors declared Sanjay Pradhan dead on arrival. His friend, who was riding pillion, was found to be critically injured and was immediately shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Brahmapur for advanced treatment.
Bhanjanagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jibananda Jena confirmed the details and said a case has been registered. “The exact cause is under investigation, but eyewitness accounts suggest high speed was a major factor,” he added.
The body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem, and police are trying to trace the family of the injured person.
