A 53-year-old man was killed in a road accident on the Peddipalem highway bridge on Wednesday. The incident occurred under the Anandapuram Traffic Police Station limits when a speeding van rammed into a moving lorry from behind.

According to the police, the accident took place around 5 a.m. while the speeding van was moving from Tagarapuvalasa toward Anandapuram. Due to the high speed, the van crashed into the rear of a lorry moving in the same direction, resulting in the front portion of the van getting completely crushed.

The victim, identified as Kagitala Rambabu, a resident of Koyyapeta village in Bhogapuram mandal, was seated in the passenger side of the cabin van and sustained fatal injuries. Local residents and highway ambulance personnel rushed him to the NRI Hospital in Tagarapuvalasa, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

The driver of the Eicher van, escaped without injuries, and reportedly fled the scene in panic immediately after the collision. The lorry involved in the accident also did not stop and left the site.

The Anandapuram Traffic Sub-Inspector visited the spot to assess the situation and cleared the resulting traffic congestion on the highway.

Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s wife, Papayamma, the police have registered a case. A search operation has been launched to apprehend the absconding van driver and identify the lorry involved in the crash.