Five people were killed, and eight others sustained serious injuries in a series of freak road accidents involving multiple vehicles on National Highway16 near Ongole on Sunday morning, police said.
The first accident occurred around 4:50 AM near Ongole East Bypass, where a truck parked on Lane 1 due to flat tyre was hit from behind by a poultry vehicle, killing a driver and two cleaners, they added.
The crash led to a traffic jam stretching over a kilometre.
Shortly after, a harvester vehicle rammed into the poultry vehicle, seriously injuring four people.
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Further, due to traffic congestion, a stationary truck was hit by a car travelling from Amaravati to Tirupati with six passengers from Guntur district. A second truck crashed into the car from behind, crushing the car between the two heavy vehicles. Two died on the spot, leaving four severely injured.
“This entire episode unfolded within 15–20 minutes. We suspect negligent driving by truck drivers and the road lacks proper lighting and lane markings,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police, R Srinivas.
Truck drivers have been taken into custody and cases have been registered under relevant sections, and investigations are ongoing.
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