Karthik Somaiah’s speeding car mows down 4 in Bangalore

Kundhira Karthik Somaiah (29), marketing operations manager at Sercon, driving his Honda Accord car in a rash manner, mowed down four persons in Bangalore’s Indiranagar on Saturday morning.
Karthik, a self-confessed party animal, son of K.M. Somaiah, a retired merchant navy officer, who was driving back home from a late night party, slammed a cyclist first on 100 Feet Road and then ploughed through the payment, mowing down three morning walkers.
The victims have been identified as Radhakrishnan (40), cyclist and a construction worker, Dr Ramanath Panathur (73), a medical practitioner of CMH Road, Kempe Gowda (76), a retired civil engineer, and Siddaiah (69), a retired civil defence officer.
Karthik, who was apparently drunk, fled the scene in an autorickshaw after some passers-by allegedly tried to assault him.
Though the accident occurred at 6.15 a.m., Karthik surrendered to the police only at 5.30 p.m. along with his lawyer. The police could not trace Karthik and found his house at BDA Flats, Domlur, locked with his dog inside.
Karthik told the media that he spotted a cyclist on the wrong side of the road and tried to swerve the car to the left when he lost control and hit the pedestrians. “I was very scared and ran away from the spot to avoid being killed.”
The police have charged Karthik for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Additional commissioner of police Praveen Sood was quoted as saying: “When he surrendered in the evening, still there was alcohol content in Karthik’s blood. He had partied with one set of friends till 11 p.m. on Friday night, where he drank and then he headed to another friend’s place and continued to drink. In the morning, he was driving to another friend’s place for breakfast, when the accident occurred.”
The car bearing the fancy number 008 was initially owned by Sunil Damani, of Mitsun’s Steels, who had sold the car to Karthik last year.
According to Karthik’s Orkut profile, he was huge fan of Ferrari and Formula 1 cars. To his Orkut friends, Karthik was a warm and caring person who would help anyone in trouble.
Karthik’s family hails from Balele in Kodagu.