Shimla, Sep 20: A tourist from Keralam was killed and a companion was injured after their motorcycle skidded off the Jibhi-Sojha link road and fell into a gorge in the Jibhi area of Kullu district on Sunday, police said. In a separate incident late on Saturday in Sirmour district, two people were run over and killed by a trailer-truck whose driver allegedly breached barriers and crossed into Haryana, police added.
Details of the Kullu motorcycle accident
According to police, the Kullu accident occurred at about 1.50 pm on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Sabin Mathew Kurain, while Akshara Jose sustained injuries and was admitted to hospital. Both were residents of Kattattukulam in Ernakulam district, Kerala.
"Eyewitnesses have told us that the rider lost control, leading to the motorcycle skidding off the road and falling into a gorge," a police officer said.
The injured rider and the deceased were taken to the Civil Hospital in Banjar. Jose was subsequently shifted to the Regional Hospital in Kullu for further treatment.
Kullu Superintendent of Police Abhishek said a case has been registered under sections 281 and 106 (rash driving) and 125A (negligent act) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway.
Sirmour hit-and-run leaves two dead
In a separate case in Kala Amb area of Sirmour district late on Saturday, two people were killed after being run over by a trailer-truck, police said. The deceased were identified as Surdeep Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, and Gyan Singh, a resident of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.
Police said the driver of the trailer-truck broke through barriers and barricades after the collision and crossed into Haryana. Joint police teams from both states intercepted the vehicle about 3 km from Kala Amb and detained the driver, according to officials.
Immediate response and legal action
Both incidents prompted prompt registration of cases and transfer of injured to higher medical facilities. The Kullu police have invoked provisions under the BNS related to rash and negligent driving; details of charges in the Sirmour case, including any sections applied in the FIR, were not specified in the initial report.
Authorities said investigations are continuing to establish the precise sequence of events in both accidents, collect eyewitness statements and examine vehicle conditions and road circumstances.
| District | Location | Fatalities | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kullu | Jibhi (Jibhi-Sojha link road) | 1 (Sabin Mathew Kurain) | 1 (Akshara Jose) |
| Sirmour | Kala Amb | 2 (Surdeep Kumar, Gyan Singh) | 0 |
Public-safety and cross-border policing
Police responses in both districts underlined road-safety concerns on hilly routes and the challenges of managing high-speed or heavy vehicles on state borders. The alleged breach of barricades and the truck driver's initial flight into Haryana required coordination between Himachal and Haryana police teams to apprehend the vehicle, officials said.
- Investigations in Kullu are focused on driver error and road conditions after eyewitness accounts that the rider lost control.
- The Sirmour case involves a hit-and-run allegation and possible criminal culpability for causing death by dangerous or negligent driving; more details will emerge from the FIR and forensic examination of the vehicle.
Police have not released further details about the condition of the injured or whether any arrests beyond the interception of the truck have been made. They said formal statements and technical probes will determine whether additional charges, such as culpable homicide not amounting to murder or provisions under the Motor Vehicles Act, are warranted.
Local authorities urged motorists to exercise caution on hill roads, adhere to speed limits and respect barricades, especially at construction sites and border check-points. Further updates are awaited as investigations progress.
