Balasore, Feb 21: In a horrific incident, a pickup van hit a cyclist and later the driver of the vehicle who was reportedly in an inebriated condition fled the scene carrying the severed hand of the victim late last night.
As per reports, the mishap took place near the Gurdaspur Bridge under Raibania police limits in Odisha's Balasore district when the speeding pickup van hit the cyclist, identified as Purnachandra Mallick of Gurdaspur.
The collision was so intense that Purnachandra’s hand got severed. Thereafter, in a disturbing turn of events, the driver of the pickup van, identified as Sania Mallick, picked up the severed hand and fled from the spot.
However, some locals intercepted him near Purunapani, about 20 kilometers from the accident site, after noticing blood dripping from the vehicle and growing suspicious.
Meanwhile, Purnachandra was rescued by some local people in a critical condition and was initially rushed to a local hospital for treatment. However, he was later shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) as his health condition deteriorated.
Upon getting the information, police arrived at the scene and detained the driver for questioning.
Further investigation into matter was underway.
