Nashik witnessed a tragic road accident on Sunday (16th) around 2 PM when a speeding Fortuner car hit a group of teachers standing by a roadside sugarcane juice cart. One of the teachers, 38-year-old Gayatri Sandeep Thakur, lost her life in the accident.
The incident occurred near Manohar Garden, where Gayatri and her colleagues had stopped for a drink. The Fortuner (MH 14 JE 0900), coming from the Indiranagar tunnel towards City Centre Mall, lost control and crashed into food carts, pedestrians, and the juice stall. The impact was severe, throwing Gayatri to the ground. Two others, a man and a woman, were also injured.
Gayatri and the injured were rushed to a private hospital in Govindnagar, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. The driver responsible for the accident, identified as Saurabh Bhope, has been detained by Mumbai Naka police. A case has been registered against him for causing a fatal accident.
Local residents and commuters have raised concerns over heavy traffic congestion near the Indiranagar tunnel. They blame roadside encroachments, food stalls, and parked vehicles for reducing space on the road, making accidents more likely. Citizens are now demanding immediate action to remove these encroachments to prevent further mishaps.