Vijayapura: BSF Jawan, ambulance driver killed in serial accident near Nidagundi

Vijayapura: In a tragic series of road accidents near Nidagundi town on Wednesday morning, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan and an ambulance driver lost their lives after a lorry rammed into multiple vehicles on National Highway 50.

The deceased have been identified as Maunesh Rathod (35), a BSF jawan from Kalgi village in Muddebihal taluk, and Ritesh (35), an ambulance driver originally from Kerala.

Maunesh was reportedly on leave and had recently returned to his hometown from Gujarat, where he was posted.

The incident occurred near the new bus stand in Nidagundi. A lorry traveling from Vadodara, Gujarat towards Bengaluru allegedly triggered the chain collision. Initially, it hit a motorcycle while attempting to cross the road, killing Maunesh, who was riding the bike, on the spot.

Following the first collision, the same lorry rear-ended an ambulance traveling ahead of it. The force of the impact pushed the ambulance into another truck in front, crushing the vehicle and seriously injuring the driver Ritesh. He was immediately rushed to a hospital by local police and emergency responders, but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

According to police, Ritesh had recently purchased the second-hand ambulance from Delhi and was en route to Kottayam, Kerala, at the time of the accident.

The accident left the highway blocked for some time, with the damaged lorry, ambulance, and bike obstructing traffic. Police used a crane to clear the vehicles and restore normal flow.

Senior officials including SP Laxman Nimbargi and CPI Ashok Chavhan visited the scene and supervised the clearance operation. A case has been registered at Nidagundi police station and further investigation is underway.