Bhubaneswar, April 15: Tension erupted at Gangapada on the city outskirts as local residents blocked the National Highway 5 following an early morning accident there that killed a tollgate employee.

Around 2.40am, a speeding truck killed Gangapada tollgate employee Narayan Baral. He was a native of Khandapada in Nayagarh district.

Eyewitnesses said Baral was crossing the road at the tollgate when the speeding truck ran over him. He died on the spot.

Delayed arrival of police at the spot infuriated both the local residents and the tollgate employees. They blocked the road for more than two hours.

The agitators demanded action against the driver of the truck that killed Baral. “We want the authorities to take steps so that no such accidents occur here in future,” said Aniruddha Sathua, a local resident.

Higher officials of the city police, including deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Nitinjit Singh, rushed to the spot and assured the agitators of prompt action against the truck driver, following which the mob ended their protest.

However, the city police have not yet been able to trace the truck and its driver. The tollgate employees said that the truck was going from Khurda side to Bhubaneswar and it did not stop despite seeing the red signal.

“At that time of the accident, Baral, who was deployed at the second gate, was crossing the road to go to another booth of the toll plaza. The truck did not stop or slow down despite the presence of a speed breaker. It went towards Bhubaneswar. A police van that was following the truck also passed through the gate without stopping,” said Rajnikant Kuanr, an eyewitness.

A footage of the closed-circuit television camera installed at the toll plaza also showed the vehicle hitting Baral.

However, the number plate of the vehicle could not be read clearly from the footage because of poor visibility. The police have taken the footages and are trying to trace both the truck and the police van.

“We hope to be able to arrest the truck driver soon. Only then it will be clear why he did not stop the vehicle at the tollgate despite the employees signalling him to do so,” said a police officer.

In another accident this afternoon, at least 20 people sustained injuries after a passenger bus turned turtle on the National Highway 5 near Janla on the city outskirts.

The Bhanjanagar-bound bus, which started its journey from Bhubaneswar bus depot, skidded off the road and overturned trying to avoid hitting a two-wheeler.