Couldn't identify her; face was completely smashed: Relative of woman killed in Bengaluru crash

Bengaluru: Shalini V, the 24-year-old woman who was killed after a sleep-deprived lorry driver struck her auto-rickshaw in the heart of the city on Saturday morning, was heading to Majestic to board a bus to her hometown Kollam when tragedy struck, according to her family. 

On Sunday, when Shalini's relative went to Bowring Hospital to receive her body, he could not recognise her because her head was completely smashed, and there were injuries on her arms and limbs. 

The Cubbon Park traffic police have tracked down the driver of the lorry (KA 01/B 9385) and booked him for causing death by negligence and reckless and negligent driving. His lorry has been confiscated. 

The complaint was filed by a distant relative of the deceased. 

The relative told DH, "She is related to my brother’s wife. I got a phone call around 6 am from my brother, who is based out of Kerala. Immediately, I rushed to the hospital to see her body. Her face was completely smashed, and left arms and right limbs were injured.” 

The incident occurred at the Police Thimmaiah Junction (GPO Circle) between 3.50 am and 4 am. The lorry, heading from CTO Junction towards Raj Bhavan, struck the auto. Shalini, who worked in a call centre, had booked the auto on Namma Yatri. 

Shalini’s relative said she had booked the auto at 3 am on Saturday to go to her native place in Kollam, Kerala. 

Shalini is survived by her mother, who received the body from Bowring at 1 pm on Sunday, and is on her way back to Kollam to perform the last rites. 

Sources in the Cubbon Park traffic police station identified the driver as 24-year-old Abhi, a native of Sakleshpur.