BENGALURU: A couple died and two others suffered grievous injuries when a sirenblaring ambulance shot through traffic lights, knocked down two motorbikes and climbed onto a footpath before screeching to a wobbly halt at Kengal Hanumanthaiah Junction late Saturday night.The deceased — Ismail Nathar Dabapu, 40, and wife Sameen Banu, 33, from Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada — lived in Sudhamanagar. Ismail was doing wholesale clothing business. The driver has been arrested.Ambulance with no patient jumped signal, had beacon onYou Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Gold Rate Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rate Today in Bengaluru
They are survived by two daughters and a son, who study in classes 2, 5, and 7. The injured — Mohammed Riyan, 29, a private firm employee, and his pillion rider, Mohammed Siddiq, 32, a mechanic — were from Someshwaranagar in Jayanagar.At the time of the accident, the ambulance, which was not carrying any patients, was heading towards Lalbagh, while the victims were on their way to Wilson Garden from Urvashi Theatre Junction through H Siddaiah Road.At the junction, the ambulance had a cross-direction collision with the two scooters. Driver Ashok had fled, fearing an attack by the public. He later surrendered before Siddapura police, said DCP (traffic-west) Anoop A Shetty.
Ashok, from KR Pete in Mandya district, was driving the ambulance belonging to Cloud9 Hospital. Police claimed tests revealed the driver was not under influence of alcohol. The ambulance, which had beacon lights on, jumped the signal despite not carrying any patients and hit the two scooters around 11.15pm. The general public shifted the couple and two other injured to different hospitals. Ismail and Seema were declared dead later in the hospital.All 4 on scooter were wearing helmets, says eyewitnessThe crowd alleged the ambulance driver had turned on the siren despite not having patients on board. They flipped the ambulance on to the road and accused ambulance drivers of misusing the facilities given to them.Mujahid Pasha, 40, an auto driver who witnessed the accident, said all four, including the deceased and injured, were wearing helmets and blamed the driver’s negligence for the accident. |
