BANGALORE: A Land Rover recklessly driven by a former municipal president ploughed into a group of vegetable sellers and shoppers, killing four persons and injuring seven others, off Hosur Road, late on Monday.

The SUV driver, C Krishnappa alias Bar Krishnappa, 55, allegedly fled in a white Maruti Omni driven by a friend, and is absconding. Krishnappa is a former president of the erstwhile Bommanahalli city municipal council.

The accident happened around 10.30pm in Channakeshavanagar, 10 metres from the Hosur Road-Parappana Agrahara Road junction.

Within minutes of the accident, Krishnappa called a friend and escaped, eyewitnesses told TOI.

The deceased were identified as Indrani Govindaiah, 52, a handloom worker and resident of Chennakeshavanagar; her cousin and Salem resident Pushparani Janakaraj, 55; Vijaya Kumar, 35, a vegetable vendor and resident of Basavapura; and Rajanna alias Raja Nayak, 25, a vegetable vendor who lived in Basavapura.

Krishnappa is believed to have left his house on Hosa Road minutes before the accident. Eyewitnesses said the Land Rover (KA51 MD 9394) came speeding from the Hosa Road side.

G Manjunath, a TV mechanic, told TOI he was standing near a pani puri stall when he saw the luxury SUV swerve right and left.

"The driver apparently failed to notice a speed-breaker. Once the SUV rode over it, he completely lost control over the vehicle, which appeared to be moving at its maximum speed. The vehicle took a sharp right turn, crossed the median and the right lane of the road and jumped onto the pavement," Manjunath said.

The pavement, opposite Channakeshavanagar Government School, was teeming with pedestrians and vegetable vendors.

"There were screams and wails as the SUV ploughed into the crowd. I was aghast at what I saw," Manjunath said. The SUV hit a tree at the edge of the pavement and ground to a halt.

Krishnappa, a familiar face in the area, emerged from the vehicle and slapped his forehead.

"To our utter disbelief, he did not utter a word or even make an attempt to help the injured. He pulled out his mobile, called someone and asked him to come down immediately," the eyewitnesses said.

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