A 26-year-old Bengaluru resident and another occupant were killed in a tragic accident near the Vakkaleri toll plaza in Malur taluk on the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway near Kolar on Monday around 3:30 pm when the Volkswagen car they were traveling in was hit by an Audi vehicle coming in the opposite direction.
The accident was clearly captured on a CCTV camera. Both cars tried to avert the accident but collided head-on, with the occupants of the Volkswagen killed on the spot. The occupants of the Audi escaped with minor injuries, though.
According to preliminary reports, the Audi vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction on the carriageway, resulting in the fatal crash. The victims in the Volkswagen car have been identified as Eshwar (27) and Janani (24), both residents of Nandi Gardens Apartments in Bengaluru.
The impact of the collision was captured on CCTV, which shows both vehicles attempting evasive maneuvers before crashing head-on. Occupants of the Audi vehicle suffered minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Malur police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident. Locals have raised concerns over the increasing number of fatal accidents on this highway stretch and have called for stricter safety measures and better enforcement to prevent such mishaps in the future.
Bengaluru–Chennai Highway Turns Hotspot of Road Accidents
The Bengaluru–Chennai highway, partly opened to the public last year, has turned dangerous, with numerous head-on collisions, bus crashes, and rollover incidents occurring frequently.
On September 11, 2023, a horrific crash near Sandaipalli in Tamil Nadu's Tirupattur district claimed the lives of seven women and left ten others injured. A speeding lorry rammed into a stationary tourist van parked along the median, causing it to overturn onto passengers who had stepped out for a break. The incident triggered calls for better parking and rest zone facilities on the highway.
Just two months later, on November 11, 2023, a deadly head-on collision between two buses occurred at Chettiyappanur, again in Tirupattur. The crash, which happened in the early hours of the morning, killed five people and injured over 60. One of the buses had reportedly veered off after hitting the median, pointing to issues related to visibility and inadequate road demarcation.
Following a spate of such accidents, authorities were forced to shut down an accident-prone U-turn near Marapattu close to Ambur in January 2024. The decision came after two schoolgirls were fatally hit by a truck making a sudden turn across the carriageway, sparking local protests and demands for better road planning.
In May 2024, a private bus veered off the highway and fell into a ditch near Sunguvarchathiram, close to Sriperumbudur. Over ten passengers were injured in the crash, which was attributed to driver fatigue. The incident underscored the need for enforcing mandatory rest periods and regular vehicle checks for long-distance operators.
On June 14, 2024, four pilgrims were injured when a minivan overturned after hitting the steel median near Sathuvachari in Vellore. The vehicle, part of a pilgrimage convoy, lost balance due to poor visibility and slippery conditions, further drawing attention to the lack of night lighting and hazard signage on key highway stretches.
A particularly tragic accident occurred on March 2, 2025, near Kuppahalli in Kolar district (Karnataka), where four people, including a child, were killed. A speeding SUV collided with a two-wheeler and another vehicle, prompting the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to impose a ban on two-wheelers along the expressway segment to improve safety.
In May 2025, a government-run bus rammed into a private car near Seneerkuppam in Poonamallee, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to another. The crash reportedly occurred due to the bus driver dozing off at the wheel, highlighting once again the role of fatigue in expressway accidents.
In the latest accident on July 15, 2025, two youngsters, identified as Eshwar (27) and Janani (24) from Bengaluru, were killed in a head-on collision near the Vakkaleri toll plaza in Malur taluk, Kolar district. Their car collided with another car reportedly coming in the wrong direction of the carriageway. The crash, captured on CCTV, showed both vehicles attempting last-minute evasive actions before the fatal impact.
The alarming frequency of these accidents has prompted road safety experts and local communities to demand immediate improvements in signage, lane monitoring, and stricter enforcement of highway rules. Despite the strategic importance of the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, the growing death toll signals that urgent attention is needed to prevent further tragedies.
