A Narrow Escape at Hejamady: Car Crashes into Parked Lorry, Two Injured

By Our Staff Reporter
Udupi | July 1, 2025

In the quiet hours of Tuesday morning, a sudden metallic scream of collision shattered the calm near the Hejamady toll plaza. An Innova car, returning from what should have been a joyful night out, slammed into a stationary lorry loaded with wooden logs. The vehicle didn’t stand a chance — and neither did its unsuspecting passengers.

Lokesh (43) from Kodikere and Viraj (29) from Kulai were inside, possibly dozing off after a family function, when their ride turned into a wreck.

"We heard the crash and ran towards it. The car looked like it had folded in half," said Ravindra, a toll plaza staffer who was among the first to reach the site. "Getting them out wasn’t easy. The door was jammed, the dashboard crushed.”

What exactly happened?

Initial reports suggest the driver of the Innova failed to notice the lorry parked along the road — either due to fatigue, distraction, or poor visibility. There’s still some ambiguity around whether the lorry had its hazard lights on or was legally parked.

What’s clear, though, is that the impact left the car mangled and the two men trapped inside, bleeding but conscious. Local residents and toll plaza workers acted swiftly, using crowbars and brute force to free the duo before emergency services arrived.

Good News Amid the Chaos

Both Lokesh and Viraj were rushed to a private hospital in Mangaluru, where doctors say they’re out of danger, though still under observation.

The police have reportedly begun an inquiry into why the lorry was parked in that spot and whether safety protocols were followed.