Sonepur: Ajay Jethi, the driver of the MUV (multi utility vehicle) that crushed three to death and left six others battling for their lives after ramming into an auto-rickshaw at the Badabahali Chhak on national highway no. 57 in Sonepur district in the wee hours today has been arrested from Bolangir.
Lady Police Inspector Snigdharani Suna who was seated in the MUV at the time of the accident has also been traced.
Both Jethi and Suna are being brought here from Bolangir, police sources said.
According to reports, Suna was returning in her MUV after finishing Suna Besha duty in Puri. Her driver Ajay Jethi was on the wheel.
Around 4 AM today, eight vegetable sellers were coming to Sonepur haat in an auto-rickshaw after fetching vegetables from Raghavpalli in Bolangir district.
While they were chit-chatting with a bike rider at the Badabahali chhak on national highway 57, an overspeeding MUV coming from the opposite direction hit them head-on.
Kuabati Nayak, Satya Pradhan, and Prananath Biswal who were seated in the auto-rickshaw loaded with vegetables were killed on the spot.
The biker and five others who were seated inside the auto-rickshaw were seriously injured in the accident.
The injured were initially shifted to the district headquarters hospital here and later shifted to Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital as their condition worsened.
After the accident, the driver and Snigdharani Suna who was seated in the vehicle fled the spot.
