Five persons were injured, two of them critically, after a car rammed into a moving container truck on National Highway-16 under the Soro police limits in Odisha’s Balasore district early Wednesday morning.
The accident occurred near Talanagar between 4:30 am and 5:00 am, according to preliminary information.
Sources said the car was travelling from Betanati in Mayurbhanj district to Puri when it collided with the rear of a container truck moving in the same direction. Following the impact, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing the car to veer off the highway and crash into a roadside shop. The vehicle was severely damaged in the collision.
All five occupants of the car sustained serious injuries. Personnel from the National Highway patrol team reached the spot soon after the incident and arranged for an ambulance. The injured were initially admitted to the Soro Sub-Divisional Hospital for medical treatment.
As the condition of two of the injured passengers deteriorated, they were later shifted to a hospital in Cuttack for advanced care. Hospital sources said the two critically injured persons are currently undergoing treatment and remain in a serious condition.
Preliminary findings suggest that the driver may have dozed off while driving, leading to the accident. However, Soro police have launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the mishap.
The accident briefly disrupted traffic movement on the busy NH-16 stretch before normal traffic was restored. Police said the families of the injured have been informed.
