A youth lost his life following a late-night road accident in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area last week, after a triple-seat scooter allegedly being ridden at high speed and on the wrong side collided with a truck, police said.
Based on their investigation, Ghatkopar police have registered a first information report (FIR) against the scooter rider, a friend of the deceased, for rash and negligent driving.
High-speed collision on wrong side
The incident occurred around 10 pm on January 28 on the Andheri–Ghatkopar Link Road near Shreyas Cinema. Three friends — Nitin Patwa, Manthan Bhalerao and Chetan Sharma, all residents of Ghatkopar and in their twenties — were travelling on a scooter when the accident took place.
Senior Inspector Satish Jadhav of Ghatkopar police station said the scooter was being ridden at high speed on the wrong side of the road when it collided head-on with a truck approaching from the opposite direction. The impact flung all three riders onto the road.
Victim succumbs to injuries days later
Manthan Bhalerao, who was seated between the two others, suffered the most severe injuries and was thrown a considerable distance due to the impact. The truck driver, identified as K. Kamble, immediately alerted the police control room and stated that he had attempted to slow down after spotting the scooter approaching from the wrong side.
Bhalerao was initially taken to a local hospital by his friends and later shifted to KEM Hospital due to the seriousness of his injuries. He succumbed on Wednesday.
FIR against scooter rider
Police said their probe found no fault on the part of the truck driver, who was driving on the correct side and informed authorities promptly. An FIR has been registered against scooter rider Patwa for triple riding, wrong-side driving and overspeeding. He has been served a notice to join the investigation and was allowed to leave.
The case has once again highlighted the deadly risks of traffic violations on busy urban roads.