GUWAHATI, Nov 14: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said a possible health emergency suffered by the driver was being examined as a cause of the fatal road accident involving a Traveller at Rangajan in Kaziranga.
After visiting the accident site, Sarma said the vehicle was travelling at over 100 kmph, although the speed limit in the Kaziranga area was 40 kmph. Video footage showed the Traveller moving straight before the driver lost control, he said.
The driver may have suffered a heart attack, stroke or a sudden drop in blood sugar, Sarma said. He added that another Traveller driver had said the deceased driver had a pre-existing condition of low blood sugar.
Sarma said a post-mortem examination by specialist doctors had been arranged to determine the driver’s medical condition. Investigators would also examine the possibility of intoxication and any technical defect in the vehicle, he said.
He said preliminary observations did not indicate that the crash occurred while the Traveller was overtaking or after colliding with another vehicle. Even without a collision, the vehicle could have overturned by the roadside after the driver lost control, he added.
The Chief Minister said the Traveller was believed to have carried around 41 passengers, exceeding its authorised capacity. He alleged that vehicle owners often pressured drivers to run at high speed and carry extra passengers, citing bank loan instalments.
Sarma also said speed governors installed in many vehicles were allegedly disabled by disconnecting their wires. He called for strict enforcement of traffic laws against overspeeding, overloading, drunk driving and speed-limit violations.
He said the exact cause of the accident had not yet been established and would be known after police and medical investigations.
