VELLORE: Even before the anger over the death of an infant bitten by a snake due to lack of connectivity to a hill village in Anaicut taluk simmered down, the rough road to Kathiapattu from Odugathur in the same hill area claimed another victim. This time, a 36-year-old man, who suffered injuries after falling from his vehicle because of the rough road, was lying unconscious reportedly throughout night.

According to sources, Sivamurthy (36) of Pudur hill village in Peenjamandhai village panchayat on Wednesday left for his native village on a two-wheeler with a sack of paddy from Odugathur around 7 pm. While negotiating the rough hill road, he along with his two-wheeler fell into a ditch after the vehicle went out of control due to the paddy load. The vehicle fell on Sivamurthy and the rod of the rear-view mirror pierced the right side of his mouth.

As he did not return for a long time, worried relatives, searched for him along the route on Thursday and finally found him lying unconscious in the ditch.

They rushed Sivamurthy to the Odugathur GH where he was administered first aid and referred to CMC Hospital at Kannigapuram, 12 km from Vellore, in Ranipet district, with a piece of the rod still protruding from his mouth.

It may be recalled that a one-and-a-half-year-old girl child Danshika, who was bitten by a snake, died due to lack of proper road from the hill to reach the hospital in the plains. Following this, the district administration has readied Rs 5.50 crore report for a road in the hills with the help of the Forest Department.

The injured Sivamurthy is the father of 5 children, 3 boys and two girls, sources revealed.