In yet another tragic accident on the Pune-Mumbai highway, four people lost their lives while one suffered serious injuries in the wee hours of Wednesday. Just a week ago, six youth had lost their lives on the E-way.
“The accident happened after the car, in which they were travelling, hit the pillar of Malavli Devali bridge on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway near Malavli between 9.30 and 10 am,” said Sunil Sonawane, superintendent, highway traffic police, Pune.
“The Chevrolet Cruz (MH12HZ5247) was on its way to Pune and the driver lost his control on the wheels and dashed the vehicle into the pillar. Preliminary inquiry suggested the car was being driven at high speed and turned turtle a couple of times before coming to a halt, leading to four’s death,” Mr Sonawane added.
The deceased were identified as Omkar Mancharkar (23), Rajvir Thakur (27), Kunal Nigudkar (24), and Ajinkya Karkhanis (24), all residents from Navi Sangvi.
All the four died on the spot and their bodies sent for post-mortem. Driver Imran Shaikh, a resident of Kondhwa, suffered serious injuries and was shifted to Lokmanya Tilak Hospital, Nigdi.
Sandip Yede Patil, assistant police inspector, Lonavala Rural, said Pankaj Joshi, brother-in-law of the dead Nigudkar, has filed a case against the driver under various revelant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
They include section 79 (Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act for driving dangerously, Mr Patil said.
Talking about the number of accidents in the E-way, Anand Wable, API, highway traffic police, Khandala, said “14,500 accidents have taken place on the Expressway since it was built in 2002.”
