Bhubaneswar: Tension prevailed in the Patrapada area of Bhubaneswar today as locals blocked the National Highway, protesting the death of an eight-year-old girl in a hit-and-run incident involving a speeding SUV.

Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the NH at Patrapada as irate locals staged a road blockade by burning tyres.

They demanded the construction of a footover bridge at the place to avoid such mishaps and immediate action against the driver.

The accident occurred last evening near the V2 showroom in Patrapada when Reshma Roul, a resident of Phuleswari Basti, was crossing the road with her mother, Revati Roul, and two-year-old brother, Mahi. The family had just alighted from a bus and was heading home after visiting Revati’s brother in Patia to celebrate Raksha Bandhan.

According to eyewitnesses, a Mahindra Thar SUV and a Scorpio SUV were racing at high speed along National Highway-16 towards Khordha when the Thar hit the three, leaving them grievously injured. Passersby rushed them to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where doctors declared Reshma dead. Revati’s condition remains critical, while Mahi is also undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, police managed to trace the Thar SUV to the Kusumati area under Jatni police limits using CCTV footage. The vehicle has been seized. The driver had abandoned it there and fled. Efforts are on by the cops to nab the accused.

The deceased girl’s father, Manas Roul, is a home guard who works as a driver in the Commissionerate Police.