Bengaluru pothole death: 46-year-old woman falls off bike, run over by truck

In South Bengaluru, a woman died after falling from a two-wheeler into the path of an oncoming truck due to a pothole-ridden road.

A routine ride home turned fatal for a 46-year-old woman in South Bengaluru on Thursday evening, after a deep pothole-ridden stretch in Hulimavu triggered a crash that left her crushed under a truck.

The incident has reignited anger over the city’s unfinished road repairs. (HT Photo)

The incident has reignited anger over the city’s unfinished road repairs, despite repeated assurances from civic authorities.

Police said Shantamma, who worked as a housekeeper, was travelling pillion on her colleague Nizam’s two-wheeler around 4.30 pm when he lost control while manoeuvring through a severely damaged portion of the road, Deccan Herald reported.

She fell to the ground, and a truck approaching from behind ran over her before it could halt. She died instantly.

The truck driver, Venkatesh, has been detained, and Hulimavu traffic police have registered a case of death by negligence.

Shantamma hailed from Gokak in Belagavi district and lived with her son in Kammanahalli, officers said.

Even as civic agencies maintain that most of Bengaluru’s potholes have been fixed at a cost of ₹1,100 crore, the spot where the crash occurred remained uneven and strewn with loose gravel.

The deadline set by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for completing citywide pothole repairs was originally October 31, later extended to November 10. Residents have continued to flag the poor quality of patchwork, noting that potholes have reappeared across several busy stretches.