Two cars collide head-on; 1 dead, 4 seriously injured

Lokmat News Network

A severe head-on collision between two cars occurred near Devgaon Phata on the Solapur-Dhule National Highway on Friday at around 12.30 am. The tragic accident claimed the life of a woman, while four others sustained serious injuries.

The deceased has been identified as Mandakini Takme (37, resident of Solapur). Devotees from Solapur were returning home in a Swift car (MH 13 CK 2950) after visiting Prayagraj. On the Solapur-Dhule National Highway near Devgaon Phata, a new flyover is under construction, forcing vehicles to use a single lane for both directions. However, the concerned authorities had not installed any warning signs about the ongoing work. Due to the lack of proper signage, the Swift car carrying the Solapur devotees and another car (MH-23-AD-3053) traveling from Ellora to Karnataka failed to anticipate the diversion, leading to a head-on collision. In the accident, Mandakini Takmoke died on the spot, while Atish Pawar (30), Shubham Takmoke (4), Samarth Vishnu Takmoke (18), and Sneha Takmoke (20) suffered serious injuries. Fortunately, the airbags in the second car deployed, preventing injuries to its occupants. The deceased and the injured were immediately shifted to Ghati Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for treatment. Upon receiving information, Highway Police Sub-Inspector Rahul Lokhande, Bhemalal Rathod, Sharad Dalvi, and Shantaram Sonawane rushed to the scene and conducted a preliminary investigation. The case has been registered at Khultabad Police Station, and further investigation is being led by Police Inspector Dhananjay Farate and Beat Officer Rakesh Awhad.

\INo warning sign installed\I

At Devgaon Phata and Takli Phata on the Galleborgaon bypass, streetlights have been installed but have remained non-functional for several days. Since a new flyover is under construction, traffic has been diverted to a single lane for at least half a kilometer. However, despite the necessity, no warning signs have been placed on the highway by the concerned authorities. Additionally, the streetlights in the area have not been operational for days, leading to frequent accidents.

The Galleborgaon Gram Panchayat has informed the concerned officials multiple times, but they have failed to take any action, said Galleborgaon Sarpanch Vishal Khosre.