BIDADI, India — Two people lost their lives and 14 others sustained injuries after a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Super Deluxe bus crashed into an overhead directional signpost and overturned on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway near Bidadi.
The accident, which involved a bus originating from the Kozhikode depot bound for Bengaluru, occurred early on Saturday morning, August 8, 2026 near the Avaragere Bridge along the access-controlled stretch.
According to local police and eyewitness accounts, the interstate bus was traveling at high speed when it veered toward the left shoulder of the expressway. The vehicle slammed directly into the steel support pillar of a highway direction board before flipping onto its roof on the roadway.
The impact severely crushed the front portion of the bus, instantly killing both the driver and the bus conductor. Emergency personnel and local residents rushed to the site to rescue trapped passengers from the overturned wreckage.
Preliminary investigations by the Bidadi Police suggest that driver fatigue may have been the primary cause of the fatal crash. Authorities suspect the driver dozed off at the wheel after extended hours on duty without adequate rest between long-distance routes.
"The vehicle drifted off course suddenly without any braking marks detected on the lane," reported a senior police official.
The 14 injured passengers were transported to nearby medical facilities, where hospital staff confirmed they are in stable condition.
The crash briefly disrupted traffic along the busy expressway corridor connecting Bengaluru and Mysuru as police used heavy cranes to clear the crushed vehicle and damaged overhead signage from the roadway.
A formal case has been registered by the Bidadi Police, and transport officials have launched a review into long-distance driver scheduling and safety protocols to address fatigue-related risks on high-speed expressways.
Following the tragedy, KSRTC officials announced financial assistance for the families of the deceased crew members and assured that medical expenses for the injured passengers would be fully covered. The state transport department has also formed a special committee to expedite safety audits across all long-haul routes, aiming to prevent similar fatigue-driven accidents in the future.
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