Basti, 09

March (HS): A speeding truck slammed an auto rickshaw and a car here before

smashing into an electric pole, killing three people and gravely injuring

several more, according to authorities on Monday. The collision happened at

near the Hardiya crossing on the Basti-Bansi route on Sunday night, they added.

According to police reports, the vehicle lost control and drove into an auto

rickshaw and a car before colliding with an electric pole. The collision was so

violent that the pole snapped and landed on the vehicle.

Three

people in the auto rickshaw perished on the spot. Three other people who were

badly hurt, including truck driver Santosh Kumar, were taken to the district

hospital and are being treated, police said. According to Circle Officer

Satyendra Bhushan Tiwari, two of the deceased have been identified as Amarjeet

(25), son of Mehilal and resident of Khadauwa village, and Preeti Shukla (45),

wife of Brijesh Shukla of Bantla village in Basti. The third death has yet to

be recognized. Tiwari stated that police had notified the relatives of the dead

and seized the truck.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi