A 56-year-old woman died and her son was injured after being hit by a dumper on Gandhari Bridge in Kalyan on Tuesday. The dumper later crashed into the divider and fell into the river. The deceased has been identified as Mangala Wankhede, while her son, Nilesh Wankhede, sustained injuries. Both are residents of Bapgaon in Bhiwandi. The incident occurred between 6 AM and 7 AM on Gandhari Bridge, which connects Bhiwandi and Kalyan. The driver has been identified as Alam Ali.
Namdev Chaudhary, Chief Fire Officer of the Kalyan Fire Station, said, “We received information about the incident. One team was dispatched to the spot, and a rescue operation was initiated. During the operation, we learned that the driver of the dumper had managed to swim to safety and had gone to the Khadakpada police station.”
According to police sources, the dumper was heading to Bhiwandi from Kalyan when the driver, driving recklessly, collided with an auto-rickshaw. This led to the dumper falling into the river. Locals rushed to the scene and found the auto-rickshaw mangled. They rescued the driver and his mother, who were then sent to a nearby hospital. Mangala Wankhede was declared dead on arrival, while her son is undergoing treatment.
The fire brigade and local police rushed to the spot upon receiving the alert. The fire officials began search operations but later called them off after confirming that no one was inside the dumper.
Amarnath Waghmode, Senior Police Inspector at Khadakpada police station, said, “The dumper driver managed to swim to safety and initially went to the dumper owner's place before reporting to the police station. During the inquiry, we learned that the driver had worked the entire night and was returning home when he dozed off and hit the auto-rickshaw coming from the opposite direction.” The driver was later handed over to the Padgha police station, where an FIR was registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
