Bengaluru potholes claim life of student near Budigere Cross, 20-year-old crushed by a truck while avoiding bad road

A 20-year-old college student, Dhanushree, died in a road accident near Budigere Cross on Monday morning. She was riding her scooter to college when a speeding concrete-mixer truck ran over her. The incident occurred around 8.30 am, close to Bhuvaneshwari Enclave in KR Pura. Police said the truck hit her from behind, throwing her onto the road, where the vehicle ran over her head.

The truck driver fled the scene after the accident. Passersby alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and shifted the body to the mortuary. Police later handed over the body to her family after post-mortem. A senior police officer said: "We were unable to trace the eyewitnesses, so we don't know exactly which truck was involved in the accident. We are still analysing CCTV footage of the surrounding areas for further clues."

Complaint filed by family

Dhanushree, a resident of Virgonagar and a second-year BCom student, is survived by her mother and two sisters. Based on a complaint filed by her mother, who is a single parent, police registered a case under BNS Section 106 (causing death due to negligence) against the unidentified truck driver.


Police also said the victim’s mother did not blame civic authorities in her complaint. "During a spot visit, we found the road in good condition in the direction in which Dhanushree was headed. However, the lane in the opposite direction was in a very bad shape. We are trying to verify if she was negotiating a pothole when the accident happened," a police officer said.

Residents point to poor road condition

Some residents of Bhuvaneshwari Layout claimed potholes led to the tragedy. Neighbours and locals gathered at the site blamed the road condition and lack of streetlights. Bhuvaneshwari Enclave Welfare Association president Murali A told TOI: "Dhanushree was my neighbour. She was a very bright student. The road has been in very bad condition for many years now. It got worse last year. Moreover, there are no streetlights on that stretch."

Officials and groups react

The Mahadevapura Task Force, a volunteer group, blamed insufficient funding for PWD to repair potholes.
Mahadevapura MLA Manjula Limbavali expressed condolences and said she would take up the matter with the state government. She added that the government was releasing road repair funds only within GBA limits. Mahadevapura roads fall under GBA, RDPR, and PWD jurisdictions.

(Based on TOI article)