A Jharkhand Jaguar jawan, biking in top speed and without a helmet, crashed into a power pole near Dhurwa dam in Ranchi, 15kmfrom the heart of the capital, and was killed early on Monday.
John Hembrom (26) was a native of Chatra, but posted in Ranchi. While police conceded that the young man was guilty of reckless riding and wasn't wearing the safety head gear either, they couldn't confirm whether he was under the influence of alcohol or failed to see the pole in the morning fog.
Dhurwa OC Harish Chandra Singh said the mangled beast of a bike was found near a lane close to the roundabout and leading to the reservoir, some 3km away.
"We received information around 6am and when we reached the accident site, a couple of kilometresfrom our thana, Hembrom was already dead. Preliminary investigations suggest he crashed into the pole between 4.30am and 5.30am," Singh said.
The officer refused to comment on under what circumstances the accident happened, but didn't deny that the bike was in top gear. "When the bike rammed into the pole on the right flank of the road, the jawan was flung into a bush around 50 to 80 metres away. He was not wearing a helmet and died then and there," the OC said.
A police source said poor visibility owing to absence of streetlights and fog might have led to the accident. "The stretch does not have a single traffic signal either and is known to be a mishap magnet," he added.
A journalist living in the area said that the road leading to Dhurwa dam was also notorious for petty crimes like snatching because it remained in the dark from sundown till dawn. "Police vans do patrol the area, but infrequently. A well-lit road can help minimise the risk of accidents and curb crimes," the scribe said, stressing that the artery was not very far from the state secretariat and deserved better facilities.
Poor infrastructure apart, reckless driving is a menace too in Ranchi, claimed police. On Saturday, Kantatoli resident Hiranmoy Sen (60) was hit by a speeding car on HB Road in the city. He is admitted to a private hospital with critical head injuries.
