13-yr-old among 2 killed as speeding truck hits auto on Patur-Balapur road

Akola: A 13-year-old boy and a 50-year-old woman died while four others sustained critical injuries in a collision involving an autorickshaw and two trucks near ITI College on the Patur-Balapur road on Monday morning.

Police said the accident occurred around 9am when the autorickshaw heading towards Ambashi was rear-ended by a speeding truck. The impact caused the auto to lose control and crash into another truck approaching from the opposite direction.

Piyush Ravindra Chatarkar (13) and Lillabai Dhore (50) died on the spot. The injured persons have been identified as Surendra Chatarkar (45), Ravindra Chatarkar (52), Rupchand Wakode (50), and Pramilabai Wakode (65).

The local police, with assistance from residents, rushed the injured to the government hospital in Akola. Their condition remains critical, said hospital authorities.

Preliminary investigations suggest the accident was a result of reckless overtaking by the truck driver. A case has been registered, and further investigation is under way.