• Hayabusa crash kills rider, food delivery executive on Nelson Mandela Road
• Residents demand a crackdown on illegal night-time street racing menace

Mysuru: In a horrific road accident in the early hours of today, two people were killed when a high-speed Hayabusa sports bike rammed into a two-wheeler near Bal Bhavan on Nelson Mandela Road. The impact of the accident and the subsequent fire reduced the high-end sports bike to ashes within minutes.

The deceased have been identified as Syed Shaeran alias Shara (30), a resident of K.P. Mohalla in Chamarajanagar, who was riding the Hayabusa and M.S. Karthik (42), a duty-bound food delivery executive from Bogadi who was caught in the middle. According to residents, groups of bikers often gather late at night in and around Bannimantap and on the Ring Road almost daily to conduct illegal races and shoot videos for social media platforms, turning public roads into dangerous  personal playgrounds.

Locals fear that if such activities go unchecked, more innocent lives will be lost.

Karthik, originally from Ittigegud, was an orphan who was being looked after by one Yogavidhananda at a farm in Bogadi. Around 2 am today, while on his way to deliver food to a customer, his bike was struck by the speeding Hayabusa.

Police personnel rushed to the scene and shifted both Syed and Karthik to K.R. Hospital, but they were declared brought dead. Narasimharaja (NR) Traffic Police have registered a case and moved the bodies to the MMC&RI mortuary for post-mortem.

Stunts at high speed

Eyewitnesses alleged that Syed, along with two others, had been filming reels and performing stunts at high speed before the accident. The Hayabusa reportedly hit Karthik’s vehicle at breakneck speed, then crashed into an electric pole and caught fire, reducing the bike to ashes.

Residents express outrage

Residents expressed outrage and deep concern over the growing menace of reckless biking on city roads, especially during the night.

They pointed out that Nelson Mandela Road — stretching from Moulana Abul Kalam Circle (Highway Circle) to LIC Circle — and the adjacent Jodi Thenginamara Road and the Outer Ring Road have effectively turned into racing tracks after dark, attracting thrill-seekers who engage in high-speed riding and perform dangerous stunts.

The loud revving of engines, sudden accelerations and stunt performances have become routine, causing not just noise disturbances but posing a grave risk to unsuspecting motorists, pedestrians and residents alike.

Residents stressed that mere warnings are not enough and called upon the Police to immediately intensify night patrolling, install surveillance cameras, and launch special drives to crack down on street racing and stunt riding.