A couple were killed and several vehicles damaged after a speeding ambulance rammed into their two-wheeler near Bengaluru's Double Road, under Wilson Garden traffic police limits, on Saturday morning, November 1.
The ambulance, reportedly belonging to a private hospital, was not carrying any patient at the time. Despite this, witnesses said the driver was speeding with the siren on, reports said.
The deceased were identified as Ismail (40) and Sameena Banu (33). According to The Hindu, the couple had stopped at a red signal when the ambulance, coming at high speed from the Richmond Circle side, crashed into their scooter from behind. The duo died on the spot.
The collision threw the victims off their scooter and caused the ambulance driver to lose control. The vehicle then struck three other motorcycles, dragging one of them for nearly 50 metres before finally crashing into a police outpost.
The ambulance driver fled immediately after the incident but was traced and detained later in the morning, police said.
The incident sparked outrage among local residents, who overturned the ambulance in protest to rescue the victims and retrieve the crushed vehicles. Protesters alleged that this was the second such incident in the area and accused ambulance drivers of misusing sirens and driving recklessly even when not responding to emergencies.
The Ashoknagar police have registered a case of death due to negligence and rash and negligent driving against the detained driver. Investigations are underway to determine the role of the driver and the hospital management.