A high-speed Ertiga car heading towards Shirdi met with a horrific accident after the driver allegedly dozed off at the wheel. The incident took place around 7:30 AM on Sunday near Saundalgaon on the Dhule-Solapur highway. According to reports, the car, bearing registration number AP 11 AT 0455, was travelling from Hyderabad to Shirdi at a high speed. The driver allegedly fell asleep, lost control of the vehicle, crossed the road divider, and collided head-on with a truck (RJ 32 GE 0291) coming from the opposite direction towards Beed.
The impact was so severe that the car was completely mangled. One person died on the spot, while another sustained minor injuries. The deceased has been identified as P. Ramesh P. Krishnamurthy, aged 45, a resident of Madanpeth, Malikpeth, Hyderabad. The injured passenger has been identified as Shriram Dahita, aged 25, also from Hyderabad.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Highway Ambulance 1033 and rescue personnel arrived at the scene. They had to use iron cutters and tools to retrieve the victims trapped inside the wreckage. The body of the deceased was taken to the Wadigodri Primary Health Centre for post-mortem examination. Following the accident, traffic on the Dhule-Solapur highway came to a standstill for about half an hour. The Gondi police reached the spot promptly and cleared the road to resume normal traffic flow. Accidents on this highway continue to be a recurring concern.