Actors injured in wee-hour car crash

Mysuru: Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was injured in an accident in the early hours of today. He was travelling with fellow actors Devaraj and Prajwal Devaraj, when their SUV crashed into a divider opposite JSS Urban Haat on Hebbal Ring Road at 2.30 am. Darshan’s friend Roy Antony too was in the car.

While Darshan suffered a fracture on his right forearm, Devaraj suffered injury to his left hand fingers and chest while Roy Antony suffered a fracture on his right hand. Prajwal (Devaraj’s son) has suffered minor neck injuries.

All of them were in Mysuru for the shooting of the film  ‘Odeya’ and were travelling in the SUV when the driver lost control and crashed into a median that divides the main road and the service road.

The four were travelling in an Audi Q7 premium luxury SUV (KA-51-Z-7999) and were coming from Bharat Cancer Hospital side towards Royal Inn Junction on KRS Road. While one source said that it was Darshan who was at the wheels, the other said that it was Roy Antony. The exact cause of the accident and who was driving the car will be clear only after Police investigation.

The injured were rushed to Columbia Asia Hospital, where the doctors performed surgeries on Darshan, Devaraj and Roy Antony.

Hospital sources said that they had received Darshan and other accident victims early in the morning and the doctors evaluated the patients and opined that the injuries were not critical in nature.

Columbia Asia Hospital chief Dr. Upendra Shenoy, who held a press conference at the Hospital, said that the injured actors were brought to the Hospital at about 5.30 am.

“We gave importance to treatment first and after initial procedures, we informed the Police. Darshan has sustained a fracture on his right forearm, Devaraj’s left hand fingers are injured and Roy Antony has  suffered a fracture on his right hand,” he said.

Dr. Shenoy further said that surgeries were performed on Darshan, Devaraj and Roy Antony and added that as Prajwal Devaraj had suffered minor injuries, he was treated as an outpatient.

He said that Plastic Surgeon Dr. Vijay and Orthopaedician Dr. Ajay Hegde performed surgeries. The injured will have to stay in the hospital for 15 days, he added.

Officials at the V.V. Puram Traffic Police Station are currently examining the incident, but are tight-lipped about the case.

The car involved in the accident was reportedly missing when investigating officials reached the scene of the accident.

The officials have also not been able to identify who was driving the car.

Inspector C.V. Ravi, who has registered a case in this regard, is investigating.

Meanwhile, Darshan’s mother Meena Thoogudeepa, wife Vijayalakshmi and son Vinish have reached Columbia Asia Hospital .

Vijayalakshmi appealed to Darshan’s fans not to panic and stay calm.

She further stated that all the injured were out of danger.

“Darshan is at present in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and he is out of danger. It will take at least three weeks for Darshan to recover,” she said.

This post was published on September 24, 2018 6:45 pm