BENGALURU: The Volvo accident that killed the CEO and his family raises controversy over road safety

A tragic road accident near Bengaluru on Saturday claimed the lives of six family members, sparking a debate on the effectiveness of safe cars on unsafe roads. The family was traveling in a Volvo SUV when a container truck overturned, crushing the vehicle and leaving no survivors.

The accident occurred on National Highway 48 near Nelamangala, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

A preliminary police investigation established the events that led to the tragic accident that claimed the lives of six people. The Eicher truck, loaded with aluminum poles weighing several tonnes, was heading to Bengaluru when the driver lost control while trying to avoid collision with another vehicle.

While traveling at high speed, the truck swerved, crossed the central area and overturned a Volvo car that was heading towards Tumakuru. The impact was devastating, leaving the Volvo severely damaged and causing deaths. The truck also hit a tempo before coming to a stop, but the tempo sustained only minor damage.

A nearby CCTV camera captured the horrific moment when the Volvo was crushed by the truck. Police are analyzing the footage as part of their ongoing investigation into the incident.

The victims of the tragic accident have been identified as Chandrayagapa Gul (48), his wife Gaurabhai (42), and their relatives Vijayalakshmi (36), John (16), Diksha (12) and Arya (6). The family was traveling to Vijayapura when the accident happened.

Chandram Yegapagol, CEO and MD of IAST Software Solutions, was a well-known figure in the technology industry in Bengaluru. A resident of HSR Layout, he originally hails from Morbagi village in Sangli district of Maharashtra.

Yegapagol has an impressive educational background, having earned a diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from GPT Gulbarga, followed by a Bachelor of Engineering in the same field from the prestigious National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) Surathkal, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Eyewitnesses reported that the truck driver, Arif, lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a car that suddenly stopped in front of him. The truck then jumped the barrier and collided with the Volvo SUV.

The family was traveling to Vijayapura when the tragedy occurred. According to a police officer, the truck fell on the car, severely crushing it and dismembering the bodies of the victims.

The accident sparked a heated debate on social media about road safety, with many users stressing that even the safest vehicles cannot prevent deaths if other drivers act recklessly.

DriveSmart, a social media account dedicated to promoting road safety, shared disturbing images from the accident site where a container truck crushed a Volvo SUV, killing six people.

Handle

In response to this post, some users pointed out that although Volvo is known for producing safe vehicles, there is no vehicle that can withstand the immense power of a container truck loaded with aluminum.

Others urged Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari the government to implement stricter rules and regulations to improve road safety, stressing the need for stronger measures to prevent such disastrous accidents in the future.

During the recent road safety debate in Parliament, Union Minister Gadkari admitted that the number of accidents has risen significantly. “There is no need to worry about reducing the number of incidents. I do not hesitate to admit that this number is increasing. This is one area where our ministry has not achieved success,” Gadkari said during the winter session of Parliament.

He also expressed his frustration at the lack of fear of the law despite the high number of deaths in road accidents. “Some do not wear helmets, and others jump red lights,” he said during Question Hour, describing the situation as “strange.”

The union minister stressed that improper parking of trucks on the roads contributes greatly to accidents, noting that many trucks fail to follow lane discipline.

Government data reveals that more than 1.78 million people lost their lives in road accidents in India last year, which averages out to about 470 deaths per day. A large percentage of victims belong to the age group of 18-34 years.