Khopoli Police have registered a case against the unidentified driver of the truck involved in Saturday’s fatal accident on the Mumbai–Pune old highway near the HOC bridge in Bhor Ghat. Preliminary investigations suggest that gross negligence in securing the truck’s heavy cargo led to the death of two people and injuries to six others.
The truck (bearing registration number KA-56-6263) was carrying massive iron pipes from Mumbai to Pune when several of them fell off while the vehicle was passing over the HOC bridge. According to police, the driver had full knowledge of the risk involved in transporting such oversized material but failed to ensure proper binding and safety measures.
The falling pipes struck a car and a two-wheeler behind the truck. Ankita Shinde (28), travelling in the car with her family, and 20-year-old Rutika Chavan, a pillion rider on the scooter, died in the accident. Others injured include Vaibhav Galande (29), Sonali Khadadate (33), Shivraj Khadadate (6), Lata Shinde (50), and Lalit Shinde (30), all of whom were admitted to hospitals in Khopoli with varying degrees of injuries. "The injured received minor injuries and were discharged on Saturday late night," Police Inspector Sachin Hire from Khopoli police station said, adding, “The driver not only failed to secure the cargo properly but also fled the scene without informing authorities or helping the injured.”
The mishap caused major disruption on the highway, with traffic piling up for over an hour. The road was cleared with the help of local accident response teams, and social workers including Sanjay Mhatre and Ankush More helped transport the injured to hospitals.
The owner of the truck is based out of Nagothane in Raigad and has been served with a notice by the police seeking information of the driver involved in the accident.
"A family from Pune had come to Khopoli for a weekend outing and so had the two friends on the two wheeler," PI Hire added.
