As he writhed on the ground, his body severed in half after being crushed by a truck, 23-year-old Harish Nanjappa had but one dying wish - to help others.

Mr Harish's selfless act has made headlines in India, earning praise from doctors astounded that someone who had suffered such a horrific injury could think with such clarity.

According to The Times of India, a speeding truck carrying bags of sugar had attempted to overtake Mr Harish's motorcycle on the National Highway 4 towards Bangalore on Tuesday (Feb 16) morning.

Local police said the truck brushed against the motorcycle, with the impact flinging Mr Harish under the truck's wheels. The lower half of his body was thrown a few feet away.

A video uploaded online showed Mr Harish moving his head and arms despite his injuries.

The Times of India reported that two ambulances arrived at the scene within eight minutes and rushed Mr Harish to hospital, but he died a few minutes after reaching the hospital.

The ambulance driver who took Mr Harish to hospital reportedly said the young man's dying request to him and paramedics in the ambulance was for his organs to be donated.

"When we reached the hospital he was still conscious - even then he insisted that his organs be donated," the driver added.

The truck driver was subsequently arrested for causing death due to rash driving.

Mr Harish, who had been returning to Bangalore after visiting his hometown of Gubbi, has been described as a filial son who was intent on providing a better life for his family. He had secured a job at a logistics company in Bangalore a year ago.

"We've collected Harish's eyes as he was keen on donating his organs. It's astounding how a man who was split into two and lying on the road was able to think with such clarity," Dr Bhujang Shetty, chairman of the Narayana Netralaya hospital, told The Times of India.

"It's unheard of. He did not suffer head injuries because he was wearing a helmet."

It is not known how many of Mr Harish's organs were suitable for donation.

Dr Ajit Benedict Rayan, the medical director at Hosmat Hospital, added that it was possible for Mr Harish to survive if timely help had been rendered.

"The injury he suffered is called a crush injury, in which a person's bones, muscles, blood vessels and skin are separated from the body," he explained. "It is inhuman that so many vehicles passed by. Despite a Supreme Court order, people still refuse to help accident victims.

"It was heroic of Harish to think of donating his organs to help others even as he lay in the middle of a road."