Chandigarh, July 9: As many as 18 persons were injured after a bus overturned while trying to save a Polo car at the Sector 45/46/49/50 light point on the intervening night of July 8 and 9.
The Punjab Roadways bus was returning from Shimla and heading to the ISBT, Sector 43, while the Polo car, being driven by a 21-year-old youth, Pranav, was coming from Mohali and heading towards the road separating Sector 45 and 46 when the accident took place.
The police said the bus driver, Harjinder Singh, tried to save the Polo car coming from the left side, following which Harjinder turned the bus towards the road divider. The Polo car, however, hit the bus after which the bus jumped the divider and went to the other side of the road and overturned. The impact was so strong that the rear wheels of the bus came off, while the airbags of the car opened.
According to the police, 28 persons, including the driver and the conductor, were travelling by the bus. There were two occupants in the Polo car.
Passersby gathered at the spot and the police were informed about the accident. PCR vehicles, patrolling teams and cops from the Sector 49, Sector 34 and Sector 31 police stations rushed to the spot. A disaster management team also reached the spot.
The police said passengers were rescued and rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.
“Though 18 persons, including the bus driver, received injuries, all passengers were taken to the hospital for first aid,” said a police official.
The bus driver suffered injuries after the steering of the bus hit his stomach.
The youth driving the car also suffered injuries and was taken to the hospital.
The police inspected the spot and said the accident took place due to the negligence of the youth driving the car. A case under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the IPC has been registered against the car driver at the Sector 49 police station.
Accident-prone spot
The Sector 45/46/49/50 intersection has a history of accidents. The light point appears on the list of the most accident-prone spots in Chandigarh. This particular point has witnessed some major accidents in the past few years, claiming precious lives. In a majority of the accidents, buses were involved. Most accidents occurred late at night or in the wee hours.
Fatal accidents reported from the spot
February 27, 2011: A 22-year-old resident of Jalandhar was killed when his car was hit by a speeding Haryana Roadways bus at the Sector 45/46/49/50 light point.
December 2, 2011: Over 25 persons sustained injuries in a head-on collision between a Himachal Roadways bus and an SUV.
June 14, 2012: A 23-year-old girl student of Panjab University was killed while another student of the university was seriously injured when the car they were travelling in collided with a Himachal Roadways bus in the wee hours. June 19, 2014: In a freak accident, the driver of a Himachal Roadways bus died after he fell out of the window and came under the rear tyre of the bus following sudden application of brakes. The bus was crossing a green signal when the driver had to apply brakes as a Zen car, being driven by a girl, suddenly came in front of it.
August 23, 2014: An accident between a Volvo bus and Swift car left five people dead. Three youngsters, in their early twenties, were charred to death in their car while an NRI couple from the UK, who were travelling by a Volvo bus, were crushed under it. The accident left 15 persons, including the nine-year daughter of the NRI couple, injured.
Close shave for child
A three-and-a-half-year-old child, who was travelling with her family, had a narrow escape in the accident. The child escaped unhurt.
