Two dead, 3 hurt in road crash as driver falls asleep

Two people were killed and three others, including two children, injured when a SUV hit a parked car on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway early yesterday.

The deceased were identified as cousins Mahbub, 35, and Md Mainuddin, 37. Mainuddin's wife and two sons were injured, said Md Shahadat Hossain, in-charge of Kumira Highway Police.

Both were in the SUV, he said.

The accident took place when a Cumilla-bound SUV hit a parked truck at Hadifakir Hat bazar area of the highway under Mirsarai upazila around 6:30am.

Quoting the injured, the police official said, "Mahbub, who was driving the SUV, fell asleep while driving that caused the accident. Two people died on the spot," he added.

"On information, police and fire service officials went to the spot and rescued the injured," he said, adding that the bodies will be handed over to the family soon, he said.

Meanwhile, in Naogaon, a driver and his assistant were killed and two persons injured after two goods-laden pickups collided head-on in Patnitala upazila early yesterday.

The accident happened around 6:00am on Patnitola-Sapahar road at Karamjai village, said police.

Driver Rafiqul Islam and his assistant Shahin Hossain succumbed to their injuries at a local health complex.

Police seized both the vehicles.

In Dinajpur, a rickshaw-van puller was killed as a motorcycle hit him in Nawabganj upazila yesterday.

Nur Alam, 32, of Dinajpur died on the spot. The biker fled the spot after the accident.