An elderly motorcyclist tragically lost his life in an accident at Savarkar Chowk, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, after a car driver irresponsibly opened the vehicle door without checking for oncoming traffic. The victim, 68-year-old Ashok Lakshminarayan Amrute, sustained severe injuries in the incident and succumbed to them during treatment on May 21.
Ashok, a retired bank employee, lived in Navjeevan Colony with his wife. On May 19 at around 12:30 PM, he had gone to a bank in the Samarthnagar area with a friend. After finishing their work, they were heading towards Savarkar Chowk from the Varad Ganesh Temple side when the accident occurred. Just before the chowk, the driver of a car (bearing registration number MH 20 CH 3423) suddenly opened the vehicle door without any caution. Ashok, who was approaching from behind on his two-wheeler, collided directly with the open door. The impact caused him to fall hard on the road, suffering serious head and facial injuries.
Locals and the driver rushed him to Ghati Hospital immediately after the incident. Despite medical efforts, Ashok passed away on May 21. He is survived by his wife, while his daughter lives abroad. Following the incident, Ashok’s nephew, Professor Manish Amrute, lodged a complaint at Kranti Chowk Police Station. During the investigation, Sub-Inspector Ramesh Kande identified the driver as Bhovneshwar Ramdas Patil, a resident of Bajajnagar.
Street Parking Chaos Leads to Accidents
The Samarthnagar area is plagued by haphazard parking practices, with vehicles and handcarts often parked along the main road. The stretch between Varad Ganesh Temple and Savarkar Chowk is densely packed with banks, shopping complexes, hotels, and medical shops, but lacks proper parking facilities. As a result, citizens often park directly on the street, causing frequent traffic congestion and accidents. However, the Municipal Corporation and traffic police appear to be neglecting the issue, raising serious concerns about public safety.