A man and a woman on a motorcycle died in a crash near Joka Metro station, close to ESI Medical College and Hospital, late on Sunday night, taking the toll on that stretch of Diamond Harbour Road and James Long Sarani to five in a week.
Around 11pm, Anjan Sadukhan, 30, was on his way home from Joka with Priya Das, 30, on the pillion when the bike lost balance and they fell. Before they could recover, a vehicle ran over them, police said.
Sadukhan was from Bakrahat Road in Thakurpukur, and Das from Jaigirghat in Joka, the police said.
Both were taken to Vidyasagar State General Hospital, where they were declared dead. The police said Sadukhan was wearing a helmet, but Das was not.
On February 8 morning, two MBBS students of ESI Joka Medical College and Hospital, part of a larger group of medical students on a night out, died on James Long Sarani near Thakurpukur.
A truck hit them while trying to overtake from the right; the students fell and came under its wheels. The crash occurred at the crossing of James Long Sarani and Purba Para around 3.30am.
The next morning (February 9), 40-year-old Arup Mandal, a resident of Maheshtala in South 24-Parganas, was on his way to see a relative at the hospital when he was hit by a truck in front of the hospital’s main gate around 5.15am. He died from his injuries at the hospital.
The investigation into Sunday night’s accident has been taken up by the fatal squad of Kolkata traffic police.
“We are scanning CCTV footage to ascertain the identity of the offending vehicle. It is yet to be identified,” said an officer of Kolkata Police’s traffic department.
Sources in the police said footage from the CCTV camera nearest the spot is grainy, making it difficult to identify vehicles.
Several local residents said the stretch is especially dangerous because of uneven road conditions and rampant traffic violations.
“The road here is uneven, and two-wheelers often find it difficult to negotiate. The footpaths are fully encroached, forcing pedestrians onto the road. Accidents are bound to happen,” said a young doctor at ESI hospital.
