A 55-year-old woman was killed after she was hit by a tempo that was allegedly speeding in Juhu area. Going against the usual errant behaviour of motorists, who usually speed away from the spot without rendering help, the driver of the tempo stopped soon after and rushed the woman to Cooper Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday morning.
According to the Juhu police, the accident occurred on December 13 on NS Road 5 on VM Road in Juhu area of Vile Parle (west) and the victim, Vanita Shankar Shinde, succumbed to head injuries. She lived on the streets in Juhu.
Around 4.30 pm, the tempo driver — identified as 26-year-old Sunil Badarge — suddenly noticed her on the road and could not apply the brakes in time.
She was knocked down and suffered injuries on her head, face and nose. Passers-by helped Badarge to rush her to Cooper Hospital who alerted Juhu police station.
Badarge was arrested on lighter Sections — 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way) and 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) — of the Indian Penal Code. He was produced before a magistrate’s court and released on bail. He was not driving under the influence of alcohol.
However, after the Shinde’s death he has been booked under Section 304 A (causing death due to negligence) of the IPC. Police sub-inspector Anand Nagral, who is probing the case, said, “We have not been able to find her relatives.”
“We’ve learnt she has a relative and we are trying to track him. If nobody comes forward to claim her body, we will dispose of it within the stipulated time period,” he added. It is learned that the deceased used to live with her daughter, but she too had passed away. The deceased had taken to drinking alcohol.
