A 20-year-old motorcyclist died on the spot early Thursday after colliding with a container truck near the Kharegaon bridge on the Mumbai–Nashik Road in Thane, reported Mid Day. The disaster management control room received an alert at 5.48 am, stating the crash occurred near the Kharegaon toll naka. Police said the rider was travelling from Thane towards Nashik when he lost control, skidded, and fell beneath the rear wheels of a container moving alongside him, resulting in fatal injuries and immediate death at the location, within minutes, prompting emergency responses and temporary traffic disruption on the busy arterial corridor stretch.
The deceased was identified as Akash Chandra Pujari, a Dahisar resident, who suffered catastrophic injuries after being run over, reported Mid Day. Traffic police, disaster management teams with a pickup van, fire brigade officials deploying a high-rise tender, two rescue vehicles, and an ambulance rushed to the scene. Authorities said the container driver fled immediately after the incident and remains unidentified. Officers secured the area, coordinated rescue protocols, and documented evidence while initiating a search for the absconding driver, as investigators work to determine the precise sequence of events. A formal case has been registered under relevant sections of law.
According to police, Pujari had left home around 4 am to travel to Trimbakeshwar for temple darshan with friends, but was riding alone when the crash occurred, reported Mid Day. His body was later taken to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa for legal formalities in the presence of traffic officers. The damaged motorcycle and container were removed, allowing traffic to resume on the Mumbai–Nashik Road. The accident caused congestion for nearly an hour before normal movement was restored. Officials appealed for caution, while inquiries continue into accountability, vehicle speed, and road safety measures amid ongoing enforcement checks across corridors.