Bike and pickup van's head-on collision kills three on Jalpaiguri's Teesta Setu

On the bustling Teesta Setu in Jalpaiguri district, the hum of traffic suddenly shatters into a nightmare where three friends on a bike were cruising along when a speeding pickup van lost control and barreled straight into them, turning a routine ride into a fatal showdown. The impact was so brutal that two riders dies on spot over the bridge, their bodies a grim testament to the dangers lurking on these vital crossings. As Jalpaiguri police sirens pierced the darkness, the third rider vanished into the night—until today morning, when divers pulled his lifeless form from the Teesta River below, eight hours later.

This gut-wrenching crash has sent shockwaves in the area, with locals whispering about road safety woes on the bridge that connects lives and livelihoods across the river. In the frantic moments after the collision, police sprang into action, rushing to the scene and whisking the two injured men to the Jalpaiguri Medical College—but hope faded fast as doctors confirmed their deaths on arrival. Searches kicked off immediately for the missing rider, scouring nearby areas and the riverbanks, but it wasn't until dawn broke that the grim discovery was made: another youth hurled off the bridge by the sheer force of the crash.

Police descended on the site to piece together the puzzle, suspecting the van driver veered out of control due to speed or distraction. Families now reel from the loss, clinging to memories of the young men who were simply heading home. Yet this tragedy fuels calls for barriers, better signage, and awareness drives to shield others from the same fate. In the North Bengal region where bridges like this are lifelines, one wrong swerve can sever them forever— a stark reminder to drive with care, because every journey stolen leaves a void that time struggles to fill.