A 13-year-old boy died and four members of his family were injured after their car collided head-on with a truck near Sampaje on NH-275 in Kodagu district early on Sunday, according to police. The crash occurred near Sharada School in Goonadka as the family was returning to Mysuru after attending religious and community events in Punacha near Sullia.
The deceased was identified as Tanush, son of Narayana Naik, a native of Barengayi in Punacha who is employed in Mysuru. Police said Tanush died at the spot after the collision. The front portion of the truck was also damaged in the crash.
The other occupants of the car were Narayana Naik, his wife Vinutha Shree, 40, Narayana’s mother Ratna, 60, and his five-year-old daughter Nishitha. All four were injured and were taken to a hospital in Sullia by local residents and police.
The family had travelled to Punacha to participate in local festivities, including Sharadotsav, the celebration of the new rice harvest known as Hosa Akki Oota, and the Agelu ritual. They had begun their return journey early in the morning because Narayana was scheduled to report for work on Sunday afternoon.
Narayana works at Mysuru airport, while Vinutha Shree is employed in the minor irrigation department, police said. The couple lives in Mysuru. Narayana’s sister and her children reside at the family’s ancestral home in Barangay, according to the report.
The collision took place on NH-275 near Sharada School in Goonadka, a road corridor connecting the Kodagu region with Mysuru and parts of coastal Karnataka. The supplied report did not provide details about the truck driver, the cause of the head-on collision, the condition of the injured or any police action following the crash. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
