Hyderabad truck driver was not drunk, but caused accident: Police
The accident left 19 people dead, including the drivers of both the bus and the truck. At the time of the collision, a total of 72 people were believed to be inside the bus.
Ranga Reddy: Family members of those who died in a public transport bus accident, mourn, at a hospital in Chevella, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. At least 19 people were killed and four others suffered injuries in the accident. (PTI Photo)
The driver of the truck, which collided with a Road Transport Corporation bus at Chevella near Hyderabad killing 19 people, was not driving under the influence of alcohol, forensic report of viscera samples has revealed.
The accident left 19 people dead, including the drivers of both the bus and the truck. At the time of the collision, a total of 72 people were believed to be inside the bus.
According to Rajendranagar DCP Yogesh Goutam the report came in late Tuesday evening. “There was no alcohol in his blood stream when the accident took place,” Goutam confirmed to the Indian Express.
This finding has left the police with two probably causes for the accident: “Either the driver was sleeping or he was trying to avoid a pothole and came into the bus’s lane,” Goutam said. The theory that the driver was sleeping came from the statements of passengers and bus conductor Radha, who said that the truck kept coming even as the bus driver tried to avoid the collision.
The Indian Express had reported earlier that based on the skid marks and brake marks on the road, the Road Transport Corporation authorities had concluded that the bus driver had applied brakes to avoid the collision. “When it came to the truck driver, there was no attempt made to avoid the collision, which makes us think that his senses were numbed and that he was sleeping. He could have also wantonly entered the lane to avoid a pothole on the road,” Goutam explained.
Whatever be the reason, “the truck driver was in the wrong lane and the responsibility of the accident solely rests with him,” said Goutam said. The RTC had concluded that their driver Dastagir was not to blame for the accident.
This would mean that the truck’s insurance will have to payout the accident victims. The state government had already announced an ex-gratia of Rs 7 lakh per victim of the accident.
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“The high number of fatalities in the case happened because the gravel from the truck fell on passengers insider the bus,” Goutam said. According to police sources the truck which could have carried about 30 tonnes of gravel was packed with at least 40 tonnes of gravel when the accident took place.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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