A 53-year-old employee of a private finance company sustained life-threatening head injuries after a dried tree branch unexpectedly broke off and struck him while he was riding his motorcycle near Ram Mandir Road in Bengaluru on Saturday evening.
The victim, identified as Suresh, was reportedly travelling as part of his field work to collect loan repayments when the accident occurred at around 5 pm. He was heading towards different customer locations when the incident took place.
CCTV captures shocking moment
The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the area. The footage shows Suresh riding along the road without wearing a helmet when a large, dried branch suddenly snapped from a roadside tree and fell directly onto his head.
The force of the impact caused him to lose control of his motorcycle before crashing onto the road. He suffered severe head injuries and was left unconscious at the scene.
Passersby immediately rushed to help and shifted him to a nearby hospital in Rajajinagar, where he is undergoing treatment.
Police launch preliminary enquiry
Police confirmed that a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) has been registered at the Rajajinagar Police Station. Officers have begun a preliminary enquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Following the accident, officials from the GBA Forest Department also visited the location to inspect the damaged tree and assess the situation.
Residents allege negligence by authorities
The incident has sparked anger among local residents, who alleged that they had repeatedly alerted the Forest Department about several dried and potentially dangerous branches along the stretch.
According to residents, despite multiple complaints, no pruning or preventive maintenance was carried out. They claimed the accident could have been avoided if timely action had been taken to remove hazardous branches.
"This accident could have been prevented had the dangerous branches been pruned in time," residents said, accusing the authorities of negligence.
