(DECEASED)
Fifth fatality in 11 months on unmarked, unlit stretch
Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A 43-year-old truck cleaner died instantly after iron rods pierced through the vehicle cabin in a horrific accident on Beed Bypass early Wednesday. The truck, carrying iron rods from Jalna to Pune, crashed into a divider near the State Warehousing Corporation around 2 am, after descending the MIT College flyover.
The driver, Akash Rathod (28), survived with minor injuries. His assistant, Laxman Dhotre, a resident of Wagheshwarnagar, Wagholi, was killed as the rods pierced his abdomen and broke both legs when the cabin was flung nearly 20 feet forward by the impact. Both men worked in the transport business and had picked up a load of iron rods from Jalna on company instructions. The crash, reportedly caused by poor visibility and lack of road signage, sounded like an explosion, prompting locals to alert authorities. APIs Prithviraj Chavan and Vishnu Jagdale reached the spot soon after.
Deadly bypass: No dividers, no lights
The Beed Bypass continues to be a hazard for motorists. The stretch lacks central dividers on bridges, causing vehicles to drift into opposite lanes. Crucial turns and intersections remain without blinking lights or reflective radium markers, making night driving treacherous. According to Satara police, this was the fifth fatal accident on the same stretch in the last 11 months.