Four Killed as Speeding Truck Crashes Into Wedding Party Near Markapuram

A joyous journey to a wedding turned tragic in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district when a speeding truck rammed into an auto-rickshaw and family members waiting beside a highway, leaving four people dead and several others injured .

The accident occurred in the early hours of Friday near Kambham on the Bengaluru National Highway. According to police, the victims were part of a family travelling to a wedding ceremony when they stopped near a roadside temple.

Markapuram Sub-Divisional Police Officer U. Nagaraju said the bride's family had halted their auto-rickshaw near the temple so that the bride could offer special prayers before proceeding to the wedding venue. While the bride went inside the temple, other family members remained outside near the vehicle.

At around 1 a.m., a speeding truck coming from behind allegedly crashed into the parked auto-rickshaw and the people standing nearby. The impact was severe, resulting in the deaths of four family members at the scene.

Police identified the deceased as Alakananda (19), Ankalu (20), Nagesh (17), and Nageswari (2) , all residents of Nallabanda Bazaar in Giddalur. Officials said the force of the collision was so powerful that the victims died instantly.

The bride narrowly escaped the tragedy as she was inside the temple when the accident took place. However, the incident turned what was meant to be a happy family occasion into one of grief and loss.

Several others sustained injuries in the crash. Local residents and police personnel rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the Government Hospital in Kambham, where they are undergoing treatment. Doctors are reportedly monitoring their condition.

Police said the truck driver fled the scene immediately after the accident. A case has been registered, and an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the crash. Authorities are examining whether negligence, overspeeding, or other factors contributed to the fatal accident while efforts continue to trace and apprehend the driver.