3 dead, 1 injured as car rams into tree

KORAPUT: Three persons died on the spot and a woman sustained serious injuries after the car in which they were travelling rammed into a roadside tree near Basini Chowk under Umerkote police station limits in Nabarangpur district late on Thursday night.
The deceased were identified as Suresh Mandal of Chatabeda village under Raighar block, Gauranga Ray of Sonepur village and Satya Ranjan Bepari of Umerkote.The injured woman is Tarulata, the wife of Satya Ranjan, police sources said.
After preliminary treatment at the district headquarters hospital, Tarulata was later shifted to SLN Medical College and Hospital, Koraput, when her condition deteriorated, added police sources.
The accident took place past midnight when occupants of the car were returning home from bordering Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh after attending a function. On being informed, Umerkote police and fire personnel rushed to the spot and shifted the injured woman to hospital. The vehicle has been badly damaged under the impact of the collision, said Govind Buruda, IIC of Umerkote police station.
Going by preliminary inquiry, police suspect that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the accident. A case has been registered and investigation is underway to determine the exact cause said Buruda.