Two Police Personnel Killed, One Injured As Truck Rams PCR Van In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Two police personnel were killed and another seriously injured in a tragic road accident on the Cuttack-Paradip highway during the early hours of Tuesday. The mishap occurred near Gati Routpatna when a speeding, sand-laden truck rammed into a Police Control Room (PCR) van from behind.

The PCR van, attached to the CRRI Police Station in Cuttack, was on routine patrol around 4:30 am when the collision took place. The impact of the crash was so intense that the van was completely mangled, killing two occupants on the spot.

The deceased were identified as Lokanath Sabar, a member of the Odisha Auxiliary Police Force (OAPF), and home guard Jagannath Mahalik. A third police personnel sustained critical injuries and was rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. His condition is reported to be stable.

Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo confirmed that the truck driver has been arrested. “The PCR van was on patrol duty when the accident occurred. Three personnel were inside the vehicle at the time. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident,” the DCP said.

Initial findings suggest that the truck was moving at high speed before it rear-ended the stationary or slow-moving police van. Authorities are examining CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts as part of the ongoing probe.