Three members of a Hazaribag family were killed and two others injured after a truck loaded with steel bars rammed into their car in Chutupalu Valley on the Ranchi-Patna stretch of NH-33 during the intervening hours of Sunday and Monday, police said.
The victims were identified as Priyanshu Chakraborty, 70, a retired bank employee; his son Pranay Chakraborty, 35; and daughter-in-law Pronayi Chakraborty, 32. Priyanshu’s wife, Reena Chakraborty, 60, sustained injuries, while Raju Kumar, who was driving the car, was critically injured and referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi.
According to the report, Priyanshu and Reena had travelled to Ranchi to receive their son and daughter-in-law, who had arrived at Birsa Munda Airport from Bengaluru to celebrate Durga Puja with the family. The group was returning to Hazaribag when the crash occurred in Chutupalu Valley.
The collision crushed the car and left it severely damaged. A police team reached the site and began rescue operations. Pranay and Pronayi died at the scene, while Priyanshu was taken to Ramgarh Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. Reena is undergoing treatment for her injuries.
Ramgarh police station officer-in-charge Gajendra Kumar Pandey said the truck hit the car from behind and that police had begun an investigation into the incident. The report did not provide details of any arrest, the truck driver’s condition or whether a formal case had been registered.
The crash has renewed attention on safety concerns in Chutupalu Valley, a section of NH-33 known for sharp bends and steep gradients. The stretch has also witnessed accidents involving heavy vehicles, with brake failure cited among the factors contributing to earlier fatal crashes.
The valley is an important part of the road connection between Ranchi, Ramgarh and Hazaribag, carrying passenger and freight traffic along the Ranchi-Patna route. Its gradients, curves and movement of heavy vehicles create operational challenges for drivers, particularly on sections where a loss of control can have severe consequences.
The report said the district administration and the National Highways Authority of India had taken measures to address accidents in the valley, but fatal crashes have continued. Police are investigating the circumstances of the collision, including the truck’s movement, the condition of the vehicles and the sequence of events before the impact.
