Roads to glory or death traps?

On the morning of 10th March of 2011, Rajeshwari Mathapati woke up at 4.00 am, like any other day, to get ready for training at 4.50 am. Joined by fellow cyclists, the 15-year-old from Hunnur village in Jamkhandi, was on her way to National Highway-218 before the transition from darkness to light occurred.

But fate had other plans. A stretch of road that had prepared the youngster to stand on podiums at the Junior State and National competitions, turned out to be her death trap.

At around 7.30 am, on a bright summer morning, Rajeshwari – riding a borrowed cycle – lost her life when she came under an overspeeding truck near Jumnal cross on the Vijayapura-Hubli highway.