A 30-year-old motorcyclist was killed and his pillion rider critically injured after their two-wheeler collided head-on with a Toyota Fortuner near the Urbana crossing off Kolkata’s EM Bypass early on Saturday, police said. The SUV driver allegedly abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.
The deceased, Pratyush Panai, was taken to NRS Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. His pillion rider, Prosun Kumar, 27, a student of Meghnad Saha Institute, was taken to Ruby General Hospital with serious injuries.
According to a preliminary police inquiry, the motorcycle was travelling from south to north along Chowbaga Road and turning left towards Anandapur Road when it collided with the black Fortuner. The SUV was travelling from west to east along Anandapur Road and turning right, police said.
The police said that neither Panai nor Kumar was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Investigators also alleged that both men were under the influence of alcohol. These findings are part of the preliminary inquiry and will be examined as the investigation progresses.
The traffic police’s fatal squad has taken up the case. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the Urbana crossing and adjoining roads to reconstruct the sequence of events and establish the circumstances leading to the crash.
Both vehicles have been impounded as part of the investigation. Police are also working to identify the SUV driver and determine what happened immediately after the collision, including how and when the driver left the spot.
The crash occurred at a junction connecting Chowbaga Road and Anandapur Road near the EM Bypass, an important urban route in the eastern part of Kolkata. The investigation will focus on the movements of both vehicles, the condition of the riders, the available CCTV footage and the actions taken after the impact.
The fatal squad’s next steps are to analyse the CCTV recordings, establish the identity of the Fortuner driver and reconstruct the collision before determining further action in the case.
