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Dateline Kushinagar: Nurse dead, 17 injured as drunk SRTC driver goes on 5 km rampage
An intoxicated bus driver killed a nurse and injured 17 in a five-kilometre rampage in Padrauna, Kushinagar, before police stopped him.
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A roadways bus allegedly driven by an intoxicated driver went on the rampage over nearly five kilometres of Padrauna in Kushinagar district on Tuesday evening, killing a 25-year-old staff nurse and injuring 17 others before police managed to stop the vehicle.
The deceased was identified as Neha Mishra, who worked as a staff nurse at a private hospital. She was reportedly standing near a roadside vendor when the bus hit her.
The incident occurred around 7.45 pm when the bus, driven by Ajit Vishwakarma, who is posted at the Padrauna roadways depot, rammed into a passenger-filled auto-rickshaw. The auto-rickshaw overturned, injuring six passengers.
Instead of stopping, the driver allegedly accelerated and continued driving at high speed, hitting pedestrians and vehicles along a stretch of nearly five kilometres.
Police personnel eventually intercepted the bus by placing barricades near the Ravindranagar Dhus police station and took the driver into custody.
Additional superintendent of police Siddharth Verma said a breathalyser test confirmed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the sequence of collisions.
The injured were initially taken to nearby hospitals and later shifted to the medical college for treatment. Some of them were reported to be in a critical condition. A pregnant woman was among the injured and had sustained serious head injuries.
Padrauna sub-divisional magistrate Vivek Mishra and other senior officials visited the hospital to assess the situation and review arrangements for the treatment of the injured.
Assistant regional manager of the Padrauna roadways depot, Jaiprakash Pradhan, said that officials were gathering details about the incident. They were also investigating why the bus had left the depot without passengers and where the driver was heading.
Police are continuing their investigation into the driver’s alleged negligence and the circumstances that led to the series of collisions. Further details regarding the legal action against the driver were awaited.
ABDUR RAHMAN
