A road crash in Sandeshkhali’s Bayarmari area killed a toto driver and a woman and left another person seriously injured after a Scorpio SUV collided head-on with the passenger vehicle on Wednesday, according to a report by Anandabazar – West Bengal. The SUV and the toto then fell into a roadside pond.
The deceased were identified as Mujibur Rahman, 47, the toto driver, and Mahima Bibi, 50. The injured person was taken to Minakha Hospital, where treatment was continuing, the report said. The former Trinamool Congress MLA from Sandeshkhali, Sukumar Mahato, was not in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
According to the report, Mahato’s new driver was taking the Scorpio towards Kolkata to bring him back. The toto was travelling from the Malancha side towards Sandeshkhali with passengers when the SUV allegedly lost control near Bayarmari and struck it directly. Both vehicles plunged into the pond beside the road.
People at the scene helped recover those trapped inside the vehicles. Eyewitness Mizanur Molla told Anandabazar that he and others were standing near the pond when they heard a loud impact. They saw the black Scorpio hit the toto and fall into the water, after which local residents entered the pond and removed the vehicles. Molla said it took considerable time to rescue a woman from inside the wreckage.
The Najat police reached the accident site after receiving information. The driver of the Scorpio was reported to have fled after the crash. The report did not provide details of any arrest or charges at the time of publication.
Mahato told Anandabazar that he had been unable to contact the driver and did not know where he was. He said that, whether or not he had been inside the car, two people had died in an accident involving his vehicle and he would support both affected families. He also said he would assist those who were injured.
Sandeshkhali BJP MLA Sanat Sardar also reached the spot and assured the injured and the families of the deceased of support. He appealed to Mahato to stand by the affected households.
The crash highlights the immediate risks faced by passengers using small shared vehicles on local roads, but the available report does not establish the cause of the SUV losing control. Further details about the police investigation, the driver’s whereabouts and any legal action were not available in the supplied account.
