Police have primarily assumed that the tragic accident that killed six people on the Dhaka-Bhanga highway at Zajira in Shariatpur early on Tuesday occurred as the ambulance driver fell asleep at the wheel.
All six people, including the driver and a patient, on board the ambulance died on the spot after the vehicle hit an LPG cylinder-laden truck, parked in front of a tea stall on the highway, around 3:30am on Tuesday.
The deceased are patient Jahanara Begum, 55, daughter Lutfunnahar Halima, 30, nurse Fazle Rabbi, 28, driver Zilani, 28, driver's assistant Rabiul Islam, 26, and journalist Masud Rana.
Jahanara, from Barisal, was being taken to Dhaka from Barisal for advanced treatment. She was a resident of the College Avenue area of the city. She is an aunt of Fazle Rabbi.
Halima and her husband are USA expatriates. She came to Bangladesh three months ago.
Inspector (Investigation) Suruj Uddin Ahmed of Padma Bridge south police station said: "I suddenly heard screams near the police station around 4am. I went out and saw six people dead on the spot due to an accident. Later, I informed the Fire Service and rescued the bodies with them.”
He said it had been learned that driver Zilani was behind the wheel for 29 hours at a stretch.
“We assume that the tragic road crash occurred when the driver lost control of the wheel as he fell asleep and hit a cylinder-laden truck,” he added.
The truck driver and helper fled the scene after the accident. Police said parking the truck on the highway was illegal.
The truck was seized, and the police are trying to arrest the driver.
Firefighter Ujjal Kumar of Zajira Fire Service Station said they received information about the accident around 4am.
Dr Masudul Hasan, duty doctor at Zajira Upazila Health Complex, said: “Immediately after the accident, the police rescued the six people and brought them to the hospital. But they were already dead.”
Later, the authorities handed over the bodies to the families.
Driver needed rest
According to family members, Jahanara Begum often fell sick and was admitted for treatment at MCC Clinic in the city on Monday. She was suffering from high-level diabetess, blood pressure, and failure of both kidneys.
As the doctors referred her to Dhaka's Birdem hospital, they started their journey to Dhaka on the rental ambulance.
Police sources said the ambulance driver was tired after having been on duty for 29 hours and the ambulance speed was over 120kmph.
The owner of the ambulance, Noor Alam, and the driver's brother Enayet Howladar confirmed the information.
Noor Alam said: “The driver went to Bhola from a clinic in Dhanmondi on Sunday night. He reached Bhola around 10am. After returning to Barisal on Monday night, he took this trip without rest.”
