Amid the ongoing investigation of one of the deadliest road accidents in recent times in which a private commercial sleeper bus en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire at Chinna Tekru Village in Kalluru Mandal, Kurnool district. A recent development has been revealed that the motorcyclist involved in the incident, which left 19 dead, was drunk.
The Regional Forensic Science Laboratory submitted its report confirming that the bike rider, B. Shiva, was intoxicated. The report showed that the viscera sampled from the deceased motorcyclist contained traces of alcohol.
The private sleeper bus caught fire after hitting the motorbike, which was lying on the road in the early hours of the day. Shiva Shankar of Kurnool reportedly lost control of the two-wheeler, which then hit a divider. A while later, the bus collided with the motorbike and caught fire, according to police.
CCTV Footage at a Fuel Station
CCTV footage from a fuel station showed Shankar, with his friends riding pillion, entering the station around 2:25 a.m. on Friday, October 24. The rider requested a fuel refill worth Rs 300. The footage further shows that Shankar rode off, almost losing balance and then regaining composure, providing clear evidence of his inebriated state.
Riding drunk, Shankar soon hit a divider and fell, according to police.
The pillion rider reportedly told the police that he tried to remove the motorbike from the road, but the bus hit it and dragged it for a few meters.
The bodies of 17 passengers were handed over to their family members after the Andhra Pradesh ESL released DNA test reports for 18 victims, under the supervision of Collector A. Siri and Mr. Patil.
