A 25-year-old man lost his life in a tragic accident near Powai Plaza on Monday night, shortly after attending Chhath Puja celebrations with his family. The victim, identified as Rahul Vivekama, was riding pillion on a scooter driven by his sister when a speeding private bus hit their two-wheeler from behind, dragging him under its front wheel. The accident occurred around 8:15 pm on the Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), shocking locals who witnessed the horrific incident. The driver fled the scene after abandoning the vehicle, leaving bystanders to alert the police.
According to Powai police, Rahul and his family, residents of Wadala East, had visited Pawarwadi Ghat for Chhath Puja rituals. After the ceremony ended, his parents and twin brother left separately, while Rahul and his sister Diya followed on their Activa. Near the Powai Plaza signal, a white-and-blue private bus allegedly approached at high speed, and the driver was driving recklessly and dangerously close to the two-wheeler. Diya lost balance and fell sideways, while Rahul was flung forward, coming under the bus’s front wheel, which fatally crushed his head, police said.
Locals immediately intervened, stopping the vehicle and calling emergency services. Rahul was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, where doctors declared him dead before admission due to severe head injuries. Police have registered a case under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act and Sections 281 and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for rash and negligent driving causing death. Rahul worked at a private firm, while his father drives a tempo and his brother is employed at a Dadar hotel. Police are scanning CCTV footage and registration details to trace the absconding driver.