Bhubaneswar, May 17: A Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation employee was killed today in a road accident at Dumduma Square when an autorickshaw, in which he was going home, turned turtle.

The deceased was identified as Murali Nayak, 45, who used to work as a sweeper for the corporation.

Sources said the speeding autorickshaw skidded off the road while trying to avoid accident with a bull crossing the road.

“The three-wheeler overturned and Nayak was crushed under it. Soon people gathered there and informed the police who rushed him to a nearby hospital. But he died on the way to hospital,” said Dinesh Sahu, a local shopkeeper.

Khandagiri police said around 10 accidents had been reported in the past three months at this square claiming three people. Most of these accidents were because of rash driving by autorickshaw drivers.

The Dumduma overbridge on the NH-5 starts from the square. Besides the square also joins Dumduma village to the highway.

An official of the National Highways Authority of India, however, said it was lack of the road-safety sense among people that led to mishaps.

“People coming from Dumduma and Jadupur take the side roads to Khandagiri, creating traffic problems at the square. Besides, those coming from Patrapada to Dumduma take the wrong route along the overbridge,” said an official. He said that most of the time, the drivers drive fast on these side roads making it more vulnerable to accidents.

Local people alleged that the speeding motorcycles and autorickshaws make the square accident prone.

“At times, the vehicles take turns so dangerously here that pedestrians’ safety is at stake. Even people waiting for buses also become accident victims. In most cases, the autorickshaw drivers are to be blamed,” said Anirudhha Mohanty, a local resident.