Three people, including an elderly couple, lost their lives when their car, headed towards Mumbai, collided with a stationary dumper on the Vashi Creek bridge along the Sion-Panvel road early Friday morning. This was the second incident when a car crashed into a stationary vehicle, leading to the loss of lives.
The incident occurred around 3:45 a.m. on Friday, when Chandrakant Kadgenchi, 67, his wife Sheela, 62, both residents of Bibwewadi, Pune, and the car driver, Ganesh Uday Singh Bhosale, 30, from Wai in Satara, were on their way to Mumbai.
“They were on their way to visit the Kadgenchis’ daughter in Mumbai when the accident occurred around 3:45 a.m., resulting in serious injuries for all three passengers,” said an official from Vashi Police station, adding that all three succumbed to their injuries.
According to Vashi police, the initial investigation revealed that the dumper driver had irresponsibly parked the vehicle on the bridge, a designated no-parking zone, causing the accident. The driver, later arrested, had stopped on the bridge to inspect for a possible punctured tire.
"The couple were retired and often traveled to visit their daughter. The driver is survived by his wife and two young sons, aged six months and two and a half years. Relatives have since come to claim their bodies," the officer added.
Earlier, a 45-year-old customs officer lost his life and three others were injured in a car crash on the Sion-Panvel highway near Jui Nagar station on Sunday morning. The accident occurred when the car carrying the deceased, Narendra Rajendra Rai, rammed into a stationary tempo parked on the side of the road.
The car, which was carrying three customs officials returning home after a night shift at the airport, also struck a passing motorcycle after hitting the tempo. One of the injured, a fellow customs officer, is reported to be in critical condition. The accident occurred around 9.30 am, just below the foorover bridge on the Sion-Panvel Highway.