Driver arrested in Talapadi accident case          

The police on Thursday arrested Karnataka State Road Transportation Corporation bus driver Nijaligappa Chalavadi in connection with a bus accident at Thalapadi on the Kerala-Karnataka border that claimed six lives.                        

He was booked under Section 281 (rash driving), 125(a) (endangering lives), and 106(1) (causing death by rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Preliminary investigation cited speeding and worn tyres as reasons for the accident. The police also cite flaws in the highway’s design where the six-lane road abruptly narrows to four lane without a median on the Karnataka side as a contributing factor. Rain made the stretch slippery and reduced visibility.

According to the police, the bus lost control while braking, colliding with an autorickshaw and crashed onto another parked auto. Eyewitnesses said the vehicle skidded when its old rear tyres failed to grip the wet road.

The investigation is being led by the Manjeswaram police who are examining the road conditions, vehicle maintenance records, and driver negligence.