A family heading back for the Nuakhai festival faced a devastating accident when a speeding truck laden with coal collided with their motorcycle on State Highway 10, resulting in the immediate deaths of a woman and her five-year-old son.
The incident took place near Khinda CTR chhak within the jurisdiction of Thelkoloi police station in the Sambalpur district. The victims were identified as Jyoti Ganda, 21, the wife of Bharat Dhurua from Sukhadhar village in the Lakhanpur police station area of Jharsuguda, along with their son. Bharat, who was operating the motorcycle (OD-23-A-7232), suffered severe injuries and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
According to police reports, the family was traveling towards their village along the Biju Expressway when truck OR-04-M-1427 struck them from behind. The force of the collision threw both the woman and child beneath the truck’s wheels. Following the incident, the driver fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle.
The event sparked outrage among local residents, who blocked the Jharsuguda-Sambalpur segment of SH-10, demanding the arrest of the driver and compensation for the grieving family.
Authorities have seized the truck and are currently investigating the matter. Efforts are underway to determine the cause of the accident and identify the driver responsible.
