A 56-year-old motorist was killed in Hyderabad’s Balanagar area after an overloaded vehicle carrying iron pipes overturned and its load fell on him, with police investigating whether the pipes were improperly secured and whether the vehicle exceeded safe loading limits.
The victim was identified as Prakash Pawar, a resident of Gautham Nagar. He was riding a scooter alongside the pipe-laden vehicle when the accident occurred on Thursday, according to the Balanagar police.
Police said the vehicle was carrying a heavy bundle of iron pipes that appeared to be improperly secured and extended beyond the vehicle’s safe load limit. The driver reportedly lost control while taking a U-turn, causing the vehicle to overturn towards the left.
Pawar was moving slowly alongside the vehicle while negotiating the turn. As the vehicle toppled, the bundle of pipes fell directly onto him, killing him on the spot, police said.
The incident was captured on a nearby CCTV camera. According to the police account of the footage, Pawar was riding at a relatively slow speed and moved closer to the vehicle as both approached the U-turn. The vehicle appears to have taken the turn at speed before losing balance as the scooter came alongside it.
The crash highlights the immediate risks posed to other road users when heavy construction or industrial materials are transported without adequate securing. In this case, police are examining the manner in which the pipes were loaded and fastened, along with the possibility that the vehicle was overloaded.
The Balanagar police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances of the accident, including the vehicle’s loading condition, the way the pipes were secured and the driver’s handling of the vehicle during the turn. Further action will follow the investigation.
