Mumbai: A 55-year-old woman died and three others, including the auto-rickshaw driver, sustained serious injuries after a speeding State Transport (ST) bus collided head-on with a shared auto in Virar West on Sunday morning. The accident took place around 8:30 am near the Arnala city bus stop. The bus driver, who fled the scene immediately after the crash, was booked for causing death by negligence.
Visuals of the crash site has surfaced on social media and local news platforms. A video uploaded by Nation Now 9, a local YouTube news portal, shows a large crowd gathered around the severely damaged vehicles, with police officials inspecting the scene.
Details On The Accident
The deceased, identified as Kalpana Kolge, was a resident of Arnala village. She was travelling in the auto along with two other passengers, en route from Virar railway station to Arnala. According to the police, the auto-rickshaw was carrying four passengers, including the driver Poonam Varthe, when the ST bus, which had departed from the Arnala depot and was bound for Shirdi, attempted to overtake another vehicle and crashed into the auto.
The bus was reportedly being driven at a high speed moments before the impact. “Fearing public backlash, the bus driver abandoned the vehicle and fled,” said a police official from the Arnala Sagri police station, as quoted by Hindustan Times. “Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the accused,” he added.
The impact left the auto mangled, with all its occupants injured. Bystanders quickly alerted the police at 8:35 am, after which the injured were rushed to Sanjeevani Hospital in Virar West. Kolge was declared dead on arrival. Driver Poonam Varthe suffered head and torso injuries, while the other two passengers, whose identities are yet to be confirmed, are currently undergoing treatment.
Case Filed Against Accused ST Bus Driver
A case was registered under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 281 (rash driving), and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Further investigation is underway.
