A 52-year-old motorcyclist suffered critical head injuries after a dry tree branch fell on him while he was riding along Ram Mandir Road in Rajajinagar on Wednesday evening.

The incident was captured on CCTV. The victim, identified as Satish, was on his way for finance collection work when a dry branch from a roadside tree suddenly broke off and fell on his head. The impact caused him to lose control of the vehicle and crash onto the road.

Local residents immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital. He was later shifted to a private hospital, in Yeshwantpur. Doctors performed emergency brain surgery and informed the family that the first 48 hours are critical.

Satish is currently undergoing treatment and is in a coma.

Sporadic incident

When contacted, a senior GBA official from the West City Corporation said it was a sporadic incident and that, while tragic, the team was extending all possible support.

“Sometimes, pruning on one side can cause a tree to lean in that direction due to imbalance. However, we are still trying to understand what went wrong, as this appears to be a sporadic incident, and no specific reason has been identified,” the official said.

He added that the area has many old trees. “Many of these trees have dead branches that do not appear to be dead,” the official said. Sometimes, pruning is done during night hours also if complaints are overwhelming. During such times, due to low visibility, branches are cut in a way that an imbalance is created, the official further added. 

It may be noted that last June, a 29-year-old HR executive slipped into a coma after a tree branch fell on his head while he was riding his scooter in Hanumanthnagar. He later succumbed to his injuries, following which the government booked Forest Cell officials for negligence and transferred the District Conservator of Forests.