Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A high-speed cruiser jeep lost control and crashed into a divider after its steering rod broke, resulting in the death of the driver and injuries to 11 passengers. The accident occurred around 4 am on Thursday at Nillod Phata on the Jalgaon-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar road near Sillod.
The deceased has been identified as Narayan Kadu Sapkal (53), a resident of Nimgav Rehta, Burhanpur district, Madhya Pradesh. A group of devotees from Burhanpur and nearby villages had embarked on a pilgrimage to the Kanifnath temple in Ahilyanagar district on Wednesday. As they were returning home in four vehicles early Thursday morning, the steering rod of their high-speed jeep (MP-68-ZD-3027) suddenly broke near Nillod Phata.
The malfunction caused driver Narayan Kadu Sapkal to lose control, and the vehicle violently crashed into a divider. Sapkal died on the spot, while 11 others sustained injuries. The injured include Yogesh Baburao Kolhe (30), Rupchand Lahanu Kolhe (40) from Shirgaon, Sopan Baburao Mahajan (60), Yogesh Kashiram Dhangar (40) from Hathrun, Tanisha Krishna Chaudhary (16), Suvarna Krishna Chaudhary (35) from Shahpur, Vaishnavi Kailas Patil (17), Kartik Kailas Patil (20), Durgabai Kailas Patil (40), Anushka Yogesh Dhangar (12), and Vishal Vilas Patil (24), all residents of Atanur, Burhanpur.
Three other jeeps from the group were travelling ahead and behind the ill-fated vehicle. The driver of one of the following jeeps witnessed the accident and immediately alerted fellow travellers and the Vadod Bazar police. Police Sub-Inspector Bappasaheb Jinjurde, along with Constables Dhanraj Khakre and Shailesh Gore, rushed to the scene and, with the help of locals, transported the injured to Sillod Sub-District Hospital.
The injured shifted to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Burhanpur
At Sillod sub-district Hospital, medical officers Dr Archana Sapkal and Dr Ajinkya Ingole provided initial treatment. Some critically injured patients were later referred to district hospitals in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Burhanpur for advanced care.
The Vadod Bazar Police Station has registered the case, and further investigations are underway under the guidance of Assistant Police Inspector Sunil Ingle, with Police Constable Dhanraj Khakre Patil leading the inquiry.