Auto Driver Crushed to Death as Metro Girder Falls from Truck

Girder was reportedly not fastened properly, truck driver flees scene, later apprehended

- Rakshith Gowda @ Bengaluru

A 35-year-old autorickshaw driver was crushed to death after a girder that was being transported on an 18-wheel multi-axle truck for Metro works fell on the auto. The incident occurred at 12:10 a.m. on Wednesday near Kogilu Cross in Yelahanka. A passenger who was in the auto escaped by a whisker. The girder was reportedly not fastened properly.

The victim, Kasim Saab, hailed from Sidlaghatta in Chikkaballapur district. His wife and three children reside in Sidlaghatta while he was staying at a relative's house in Chikkajala. It took almost two hours for the traffic police to remove Saab's body from the auto, as they had to use a crane to lift the girder.

The incident occurred when the truck coming from the Bagalur side was taking a U-turn near Kogilu Cross to go towards Bengaluru-Ballari Road. After the incident, the driver fled, abandoning the truck. However, he was detained on Wednesday morning.