A 28-year-old pick-up driver lost his life early on Sunday morning following a violent rear-end collision with a covered van on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Mirsarai, Chattogram. The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Riaz, son of Abbas Ali, hailing from the College Gate area of Rangamati Sadar upazila.
The fatal accident occurred at approximately 6:00 am on Sunday, 18 October 2026, in the Ghartakia road intersection area of Sonapahar under Mirsarai upazila. Riaz was transporting a cargo of raw bananas from Rangamati to the capital city of Dhaka along the northbound lane of the trunk road.
According to highway police and emergency responders, the crash transpired when an unidentified covered van traveling ahead applied its brakes abruptly without warning. Riaz was unable to check the momentum of his fast-moving pick-up in time, slamming heavily into the rear of the covered van. The severe impact crushed the front cabin of the pick-up truck, leaving Riaz pinned inside with critical injuries.
Local residents rushed to the scene upon hearing the collision and immediately alerted emergency services. Personnel from the Bariyarhat Fire Service and Civil Defence station arrived shortly afterwards, working alongside locals to cut open the mangled cabin and extricate the trapped driver. Riaz was swiftly conveyed to the Mirsarai Upazila Health Complex for urgent medical attention; however, the attending physician pronounced him dead upon arrival due to extensive traumatic injuries.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Mohammad Asaduzzaman, duty officer at the Zorarganj Highway Police Outpost, confirmed the details of the fatal crash. He stated that the unidentified covered van fled the scene immediately after the incident. Highway police forces subsequently towed the damaged pick-up into police custody to clear traffic flow along the busy arterial highway. Authorities have notified the victim’s family, and formal legal proceedings regarding the accident are currently underway.
