Karnataka school teacher dies after truck hits & drags autorickshaw

A 55-year-old teacher of Kendriya Vidyalaya-1, Panambur, died after a goods vehicle hit the autorickshaw she was travelling in on the Kadri Kambala Road in the city on Sunday afternoon.

Traffic (East) Police gave the name of the deceased as Shailaja Rao, a resident of Batagudde.

The police said that Ms. Rao left her apartment around noon and boarded the autorickshaw after walking a few metres to reach the city market. As the vehicle was nearing Kadri Kambala Road’s junction with Pinto Lane and Vyasa Rao Road, the autorickshaw was hit by the goods vehicle. The footage of CCTVs installed at a nearby shop showed another autorickshaw taking a right turn towards Pinto Lane at the junction.

A school teacher Shailaja Rao dies in an accident after truck collided with auto rickshaw in Mangaluru. Rao was travelling in the rickshaw. Horrific video footage@XpressBengaluru @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/mblTWNBQH2

— Shreyas HS (@shreyas_TNIE) December 1, 2019

The goods vehicle, which was coming down Vyasa Rao Road, was seen veering to the right to avoid the autorickshaw and in the process hitting the autorickshaw in which Ms. Rao was travelling. The truck was seen dragging the autorickshaw for a few metres even as its driver and Ms. Rao fell out of the vehicle.

The two were taken to a nearby private hospital where Ms. Rao died of injuries. The autorickshaw driver is now out of danger, the police said.

Ms. Rao served as a primary teacher in the Kendriya Vidyalaya-1 Panambur since 1977. For one year she served in Kendriya Vidyalaya-2 Yekkur, here. Kendriya Vidyalaya-1 principal Ganesh Indrale said that Ms. Rao was a popular teacher and taught Environmental Science. She was recently presented the Regional Incentive Award by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan.