Sambalpur: In a heartbreaking road accident, a person and his five-year-old daughter were killed after the auto-rickshaw they were travelling in was hit by a speeding Safari vehicle near Shankara Mutt under Dhanupali Police Station limits in Sambalpur district late at night on Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Surendra Behera (35) and his daughter Shubhashree Behera (5).
According to reports, Surendra was returning home with his daughter in his auto-rickshaw late at night. He had stopped the auto in front of a shop near Shankar Math when a Safari vehicle coming from behind at high speed rammed into it. The impact was so severe that the auto was completely crushed. Both father and daughter died instantly. The Safari vehicle fell into a nearby pond after the collision. The driver of the Safari fled the scene immediately after the accident.
Police have registered a case and launched a manhunt to nab the absconding driver.
Further investigation is underway.
