Raipur/Balod, May 9 : Three young men lost their lives in a horrific car-motorcycle collision near Khairdih village in Daundi-Dondi Lohara, Balod district.â??

The impact was so severe that two died instantly, while the third succumbed to injuries during treatment.â??

The accident occurred around 10 p.m. when a speeding car travelling from Dalli Rajhara towards Rajnandgaon collided head-on with a motorcycle carrying three friends heading towards Daundi-Dondi Lohara from Devri, police officials said.â??

The collision near Khairdih village was violent enough to completely shatter both vehicles, leaving the motorcycle riders fatally injured.â??

The accident created scenes of chaos and panic, with debris scattered across the road.â??

The deceased have been identified as Tarun Yadav, aged 20, a resident of Sirrabhatha; Rahul Sevta, aged 20, also from Sirrabhatha; and Narendra Bhuwarya, aged 21, from Mudkhusra.â??

According to police, Tarun and Narendra died on the spot, while Rahul was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but later succumbed to his injuries.â??

The force of the collision was so intense that Rahulâ??s leg was severed and found metres away from the crash site the following morning.â??

Local police from Daundi-Dondi Lohara police station arrived promptly, recovered the bodies, and sent them for post-mortem examination.â??

The damaged vehicles were cleared from the road to restore traffic flow.â??

Preliminary investigations suggest that overspeeding and reckless driving were the primary causes of the accident.

Authorities are also probing whether the car driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.â??

The tragedy has cast a pall of gloom over the villages of the victims, with families devastated and residents expressing deep concern over road safety.â??

Police have assured that a thorough investigation is underway and accountability will be fixed once the inquiry is complete.â??

/IANS