Puttur: A car was severely damaged and seven people sustained injuries after a wild elephant struck the vehicle with its trunk. The incident occurred at Bilinele on the Uppinangady - Subramanya state highway.
The Maruti Omni car was plying from Dharmasthala to Subramanya. When the car approached CPCRI at Bilinele, the driver of the car spotted the wild elephant crossing the road. He stopped the car near the elephant. The elephant which grew agitated by the car stopping near it attacked the car with its trunk.
Fortunately for the people in the Omni, a bus came along and began blaring the horn non-stop, which scared the elephant away. The tusker left the car and ran into the forest. Locals said that the arrival of the bus in the nick of the time averted what could have been a major tragedy.
