Father-son duo ran over by truck driven by minor in Karnataka's Udupi: Report

A 13-year-old and his father were killed in Udupi after a truck ran over them. Police have found that the truck was being driven by a 16-year-old boy at the time of the accident.

Published on: Sep 17, 2022, 17:38:49 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Aniruddha Dhar

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A man and his son were mowed down by a 14-wheeler truck in Karnataka's Udupi on Wednesday morning. An investigation into the accident has revealed that the driver was a 16-year-old boy.

A 14-wheeler truck, being driven by a minor boy, moves down a man and his son in Udupi on Wednesday morning. (Pic for representational purpose only))

The victims have been identified as Prabhakar Poddar, 56, and his 13-year-old son Samarth. They had travelled from Belagavi to get Samarth enrolled in the Anegundi mutt, where he had secured admission. While Poddar died on the spot after being hit, Samarth was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

According to a news report, the Padubidri Police, which is probing the case, said the driver was tired and handed over the wheel to the teen, who works as a cleaner. When the teen said he was feeling sleepy, the driver urged him to drive till the nearest tea stall, where they could freshen up.

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Before they could stop at a stall, the boy ran over the father-son duo, who were standing on the side of the national highway. The driver also told police that the minor was a school dropout and had been driving the truck for quite some time.

The police caught hold of the truck driver from Ganjimutt in Mangaluru after surveying CCTV footage of the incident. The truck was carrying plastic material from Gujarat to Mangaluru, the report added.

Also read: Five youth killed in car crash in Una

A police officer said all truck owners must ensure that at least two drivers are present for long-distance travel. The police have arrested the driver and registered a case under IPC section 279 for rash driving, 304 for punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and 304 (a) for causing death by negligence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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