Bengaluru Road Accident: A heartbreaking road accident in Bengaluru’s Vivek Nagar claimed the lives of 37-year-old Sangeetha and her eight-year-old son, Partha, early on Monday, 19 January 2026, as per the times of India.
The duo was walking to school between 6:45 am and 6:50 am when a private bus belonging to Jain (Deemed-to-be) University’s Global Campus struck them near the Vivek Nagar bus stop.
According to the Ashok Nagar traffic police, the bus was ferrying staff members when the driver failed to notice the pedestrians while negotiating a U-turn on Srinivagilu Main Road. Both victims died instantly at the scene, while the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled to evade a gathering crowd.
Bengaluru Road Accident
The tragedy unfolded during the busy morning rush as Sangeetha followed her daily routine of escorting Partha to his school. Eyewitnesses reported that the college bus, bearing registration number KA-51-AL-7920, was making a turn when it reportedly mowed down the mother and child.
Srinivagilu Main Road is a critical artery in Bengaluru known for its heavy traffic and narrow pedestrian spaces, which often force locals to navigate precarious conditions.
In the immediate aftermath, residents expressed shock and grief, noting that the victims were familiar faces in the neighbourhood who passed through that junction at the same time every morning.
Manhunt for Driver
The driver of the university bus allegedly fled the spot within minutes, fearing retaliation from angry bystanders who had begun to congregate at the accident site. The Ashok Nagar traffic police have since registered a case and launched an intensive manhunt to apprehend the accused.
Investigators are currently scanning CCTV footage from nearby commercial establishments and the Vivek Nagar bus stop to establish the exact sequence of events and track the driver’s escape route.
Officials from Jain University have yet to issue a formal statement regarding the incident, though police have confirmed the vehicle was part of their official transport fleet for faculty.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This senseless loss of life is a stinging indictment of the lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in our growing urban centres. At The Logical Indian, we believe that the safety of a child walking to school should be the non-negotiable cornerstone of urban planning.
It is unacceptable that our streets have become death traps where routine care ends in such profound tragedy. We call for stricter accountability for institutional transport providers and a total redesign of school zones to include high-visibility crossings and speed breakers. Every life lost on our roads is a failure of our collective conscience and governance.
