MUMBAI: Two persons waiting at a BEST bus stop at Everard Nagar on the Eastern Express Highway near Chembur were killed when a junior college student lost control of the car he was driving and rammed into them around 8am on Monday.
The driver is a minor and did not have a valid driving licence. He and his friend fled from the spot, but were picked up from their respective homes and detained. The silver-grey Hyundai Accent was badly damaged in the accident.
One of the victims is yet to be identified. Balasaheb Kale, 55, who worked as a BMC guard, is the other deceased. Kale, a resident of Vashi Naka in Chembur, was waiting for a bus to reach the BMC pump house at Bhandup.
Minor ‘dozed off’ at wheel, cops check for alcohol too
The students have allegedly told the police that they had been studying together for their Class 12 exam. The driver dozed off while returning to Chembur from Sion, and lost control.
The car that the Chunabhatti police seized after the accident is registered under the name of Manoj Bhaleghare with Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO in Pune.
According to the police, the incident took place at around 8.10am on the north-bound carriageway of the Eastern Express Highway at Everard Nagar.
“There were a few more people waiting for a bus when the speeding Hyundai Accent rammed into them. The two persons, including Kale, came under the car and were seriously injured. The two injured were rushed to Sion hospital, where they were declared dead before arrival,” said a policeman. The car was badly damaged.
“The driver and the other person in the car managed to flee from the spot. Later our team did some sleuthing and detained the two. We are still in the process of registering the FIR,” said Krishna Kant Upadhaya, deputy commissioner of police (zone 6). The minor will be produced before the juvenile board on Tuesday.
The police suspect the two may have been drunk and have sent their blood samples to trace the presence of alcohol. The report is expected soon.
