MSRTC Bus Driver Killed, 9 Injured In Crash Near Lonavla On Pune-Mumbai Expressway

Pune: In a tragic road accident, a 38-year-old driver of a Mumbai-bound Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus died and nine passengers were injured after the bus collided with a container truck near the Lonavla exit on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway around 3 am on Thursday.

Three of the nine injured have been admitted to a private hospital in Somatne Phata for treatment, according to the Times of India report. The Lonavla city police have registered a case of accidental death in connection with the incident.

According to the report by TOI, an officer from Lonavla city police mentioned, the MSRTC bus was carrying 33 passengers at the time of the mishap. The Police identified the deceased driver as Irshad Shaikh from Beed district. Among the injured is bus conductor Sagar Gund, also from Beed.

Similar Case

In a separate news story of road accident from Mumbai, a speeding BEST bus collided with a stationary truck in Goregaon on Friday morning, leaving five people injured, including the bus driver. Notably, the truck had recently been seized by the police in a theft case and was parked at the location when the crash occurred. The Vanrai Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A video from the accident scene, which has surfaced online, shows the BEST bus with its front section heavily damaged and the passenger exit door visibly twisted due to the impact. The rear of the truck also sustained significant damage. Both vehicles remained in the middle of the road, blocking traffic, while bystanders gathered to capture the scene on their phones.

Police have initiated an investigation to determine whether speeding or negligence was the main factor behind the crash. Preliminary speculation suggests the truck, which had been seized, was parked in a lane without proper markings, which may have contributed to an accident that could have been prevented.