A 28-year-old man riding a motorcycle died after an autorickshaw hit the two-wheeler on Karl Marx Sarani in Watgunge early on Wednesday, police said.
After hitting the motorbike, the autorickshaw rammed into a trailer parked by the road.
According to officers, the crash was reported around 12.45am.
“The biker fell on the road and came between the autorickshaw and the trailer. He was taken to SSKM Hospital in an unconscious state, where he was declared dead,” an officer of the traffic department of the city police said.
Later in the day, a man went identified the deceased as his elder brother Mohammad Sanu, a resident of Jorasanko off Central Avenue.
The man said he was the younger brother of the deceased and identified himself as Mohammad Jugnu, said a police officer.
The autorickshaw was intercepted from the spot, and the driver was taken into
custody.
The trailer that was hit by the autorickshaw was also impounded, and its driver was arrested.
A case for rash and negligent driving and causing death due to negligence has been started at Watgunge police station.
The police said the fatal squad of the traffic police will take over the case.
Autorickshaw menace is not new to the city. Thousands of autorickshaws ply hundreds of routes, violating some of the basic traffic rules with impunity.
A section of auto drivers swerve without caring if there’s another vehicle next to them, overtake from the wrong side, and brake wherever they see a passenger, even if it is in the middle of the road
Most autorickshaw drivers are affiliated with trade unions, enjoy a certain amount of immunity, and often escape punishment for their offenses. In most cases, union leaders try to pressure the local police if any action is taken against an autorickshaw driver affiliated with their union.
Officers of Watgunge police station said they will collect CCTV footage from the area to establish the sequence of the accident.
According to the city police records, one out of five road accidents reported in the city in 2024 involved two-wheelers.
Out of the 191 deaths that were reported in road accidents last year, 54 were two-wheeler riders and 21 pillion riders.
Just like pedestrians who are most vulnerable to accidents, two-wheeler riders and pillion riders, specially those without helmets, are equally at risk.