Seven people, including three children, were killed and one woman was injured when a speeding truck ran over a group of people standing by the roadside in Jharkhand's Khunti district on Thursday night, police said.
The accident took place at around 9:45 pm near the Jone–Ludru turn on the Karra–Torpa main road, within the limits of Karra police station.
Crowd had gathered after a scooter crash
Local residents had gathered at the spot after an earlier accident involving a scooter rider. Police said an overspeeding truck then drove into the crowd. Six people died on the spot and one more died during treatment.
Khunti Superintendent of Police Rishabh Garg said the dead included three women, three children and one man, according to reports. All of the victims lived in a colony near the Jone–Ludru turn. The injured woman is being treated at Khunti Sadar Hospital.
Driver absconding
The truck driver and his helper fled after the accident. Some residents alleged that the driver was drunk; police have not confirmed this. Officers said efforts were under way to trace the driver and that further action would follow.
The accident is a grim reminder of the danger of secondary crashes, in which bystanders who stop to help after one accident are hit by another vehicle. Road safety experts advise those helping at a crash site to stay off the carriageway, switch on hazard lights and warn oncoming traffic wherever possible.
