A terrifying scene unfolded on the busy Dhaka-Chittagong highway on Monday morning when a speeding truck struck a private car and dragged it along the tarmac for roughly two hundred metres.

The incident took place at approximately 7:30 am near the Boro Darogarhat area within the Wahedpur union of Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong. According to eyewitnesses and video footage that swiftly circulated across social media platforms, the heavy truck continued barrelling down the major transport artery with the smaller vehicle wedged immovably beneath its front chassis. Pedestrians and onlookers shouted frantically and chased the vehicle, desperate to grab the driver’s attention, but the truck pushed forward regardless.

Highway police officials confirmed that the ordeal began when the driver of the private car attempted to make a U-turn near the Hakkani petrol pump close to Boro Darogarhat. At that moment, a fast-moving truck travelling from the direction of Chittagong slammed into the side of the car. Rather than coming to an immediate halt, the truck’s momentum and lack of immediate braking caused it to trap the saloon vehicle beneath its front end, dragging it down the highway for a staggering distance before finally stopping.

Miraculously, despite the car sustaining extensive damage and having parts of its bodywork thoroughly crushed, the driver escaped with minor injuries. The vehicle’s owner and driver, Tanvir Hossain, was swiftly tended to by relatives who transported him to Chittagong city for medical evaluation.

Law enforcement personnel from the Kumira Highway Police Station arrived promptly at the scene following emergency alerts. Assistant Sub-Inspector Mobarak Hossain stated that officers seized both the damaged car and the truck, towing them back to the police station for formal investigation. The driver of the truck managed to flee the scene before police intervention, and authorities have launched efforts to track down the fleeing motorist.

The episode has once again turned public attention toward road safety and the hazards of reckless driving along major national corridors like the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, where heavy goods vehicles and smaller commuter cars frequently share congested lanes.

What measures do you think can be taken to improve heavy vehicle safety and reduce reckless driving on major national highways?