Giridih: A woman and her two-year-old grandson lost their lives in a tragic road accident in Jharkhand’s Giridih district on Monday, prompting widespread public anger and a road blockade that lasted for several hours.
The incident took place in the Tisri police station area. Kaushalya Devi, a resident of Gumgi village, was returning home after taking her grandson Riyansh to a local doctor when a speeding tractor lost control, crashed into an electric pole, and overturned—crushing both of them beneath it.
According to eyewitnesses, the tractor veered off the road before hitting the pole and flipping over. Local residents rushed to the spot and pulled the victims from under the vehicle, but both had already died from their injuries. The tractor driver fled immediately after the accident.
As the news spread, angry villagers gathered in large numbers and blocked the Gaonwa-Tisri main road, demanding the arrest of the driver and compensation for the victims’ family. The blockade brought traffic to a standstill for nearly three hours, causing long lines of vehicles on both sides.
Protesters accused authorities of allowing unlicensed drivers to operate tractors and other commercial vehicles, leading to frequent accidents in the region.
When police reached the scene to take custody of the bodies and clear the road, they were initially prevented by the agitated crowd. The blockade was lifted only after senior officials assured the villagers that strict action would be taken and financial support would be provided to the grieving family.
This incident follows a similar accident on Sunday in the Netarhat area of Latehar district, where a speeding pickup van ran over two women standing by the roadside. That tragedy also led to a three-hour road blockade by outraged locals.
With inputs from IANS