Sharp curve becomes death trap

- Three youngsters died on the Bheemili-Vizag beach road at the sharp curve
- Police identify the sharp curve as a black spot and caution the motorists to control speed
- Police to take precautionary measures by putting traffic barricades before the curve to indicate the driver to go slow

Visakhapatnam: Death of three youngsters in two road mishaps in 24 hours at Peda Rushikonda baffled the traffic police who on inspection found that a sharp curve caused both the mishaps and many in the past. The police said they identified it as a black spot and often cautioned the motorists to control speed.

It may recalled that on January 27, two youngsters Nitin Sai (19), a second-year B Tech student, and Vindhya Hasini (19), a second year B Pharmacy student, died on the spot and other girl L Priya suffered critical injuries when the trio was travelling on a KTM Duke bike and rider Nitin lost control over the bike at the sharp curve and hit the road divider.

The following day on January 28, N Venkata Santhosh Kumar (second year B Sc student) died on the spot and his classmate M Sai Kumar was critically injured when their motorcycle skidded off at the same spot. Sources in police said that over 50 motorists were injured and 10 had lost lives in the same spot in the past one year.

Admitting that the sharp curve on the Bheemili-Vizag beach road near Peda Rushikonda has been posing a problem for motorists, ADCP (Traffic) K Mahendra Patrudu said that most of the motorists have been failing to control the vehicles at the curve due to over-speeding and hitting the dividers or other vehicles, leading to fatal accidents.

“We have decided to take some immediate precautionary steps (set up traffic barricades and scientific speed-breakers) before the curve to indicate the driver to go slow,’’ he said and added that he would suggest the GVMC authorities for road engineering intervention at the spot to reduce road fatalities.