The SUV landed in a ditch after Sagar Rao (inset) lost control of the vehicle near a toll plaza and hit the ro... Read More

BENGALURU: A 31-year-old businessman was killed and four others, including his wife and six-year-old son, sustained injuries after a Range Rover SUV he was test-driving met with an accident on NICE Road, near PES College Toll Plaza, Hosakerehalli, south Bengaluru , on Tuesday.

Byatarayanapura traffic police suspect Sagar J Rao, a resident of Padmanabhanagar and from Mysuru, was at the wheel of the SUV that was moving at a high speed at the time of the accident.

Sagar sustained grievous injuries and died en route to hospital, while his wife Sandhya Sagar, 27, son Samartha S, 6, Sagar's friend Gautham S, 30, and demo car driver Shivakumar sustained injuries. Police said Sagar, who was into interior designing, planned to buy a Range Rover and evinced interested in test-driving the car. A showroom at Roopena Agrahara arranged for a test-drive and sent the demo car to Sagar. Shivakumar, was in the passenger seat in the front as Sagar drove the car on NICE Road towards Hosakerehalli Ring Road when the accident occurred around 3 pm.

Car flipped over many times before landing in deep ditch

The driver was driving at a high speed and lost his control while approaching a toll plaza near PES College. He veered the car to the extreme left and initially hit a cement block and later the road railings. The car jumped the railings and flipped over several times before landing in a 10-metre-deep ditch,” a police officer said.

Dr Soumyalatha SK, deputy commissioner of police (traffic west), said the injured were rushed to BGS Global Hospital, near Kengeri, where Sagar was declared brought dead. “We’ve registered a case and seized the car, which was completely damaged in the accident,” Soumyalatha said.

Byatarayanapura traffic police said Sandhya suffered a backbone fracture and was admitted for treatment. Her son Samartha and their family friend Gautham sustained minor injuries and are said to be out of danger.

Demo car driver Shivakumar was being treated at another private hospital. “All the injured persons are in a state of shock and we have decided to record their statement about the accident on Wednesday,” a police officer said. Only their statements will make it clear who was driving the car, he added.

Sagar’s body has been kept in BGS Global Hospital mortuary on request from his relatives and the autopsy procedures would be conducted on Wednesday.

Read this story in Bengali

