Bhatkal: At least four vehicles were involved in a collision near Shetty Garage on the National Highway after a cow suddenly strayed onto the road, causing all the vehicles to veer off the highway and slide down a roadside slope. The accident occurred on Friday evening at around 4 pm. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported and no one sustained serious injuries.

According to eyewitnesses, a car travelling from Kerala towards Maharashtra suddenly encountered a cow on the road. In an attempt to avoid hitting the animal, the driver panicked and swerved the vehicle, during which the car first collided with a goods auto-rickshaw, then hit a newly purchased Bolero pick-up, and subsequently rammed into another pick-up van that had just exited a garage after repairs. The car also crashed into a pole carrying a speed limit sign. Following the collisions, all the vehicles slid down the slope beside the highway. Interestingly, the cow that triggered the accident escaped unhurt and crossed the road safely.

The car was occupied by a couple and their three children from Kerala, all of whom escaped unhurt. However, the driver of the goods auto-rickshaw sustained minor injuries.

Crane services were pressed into action to retrieve the vehicles from the slope, resulting in a brief disruption of traffic. A large number of people gathered at the accident site during the recovery operation.

Expressing concern over the incident, local residents said that the problem of stray animals on the Bhatkal stretch of the National Highway has been steadily increasing. While stray dogs often run across the road, cattle such as cows and bulls are frequently seen standing in the middle of the highway, posing a serious risk to motorists, especially two-wheeler riders. The public urged the municipal authorities and the taluk administration to take effective measures to prevent stray animals from entering the highway and to immediately take such animals into custody.