6 die as Ciaz driven by learner’s license holder crashes

6 young men were killed in yet another fatal accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which is soon becoming infamous as a death trap. All 6 were in a Maruti Ciaz, said to be overspeeding, and with a learner at the wheel. According to reports, the car exited the Kamshet tunnel just after Lonavla, hit a road divider, flipped multiple times before coming to rest upside down in a quarry.

Raosaheb Khedekar, assistant inspector investigating the accident said,

The accident took place at the kilometre mark 73/300, near Kamshet, on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The examination of the Maruti Ciaz car by the inspectors of the Regional Transport Office has found traces of colour of another vehicle on this car. This suggests that the vehicle was at a very high speed and either it brushed against another vehicle while trying to overtake it or hit another big vehicle from behind and sped out of control. It somersaulted twice or thrice before turning turtle and coming to a standstill.

Eyewitnesses add that the horrific accident was caused due to an overtaking maneuver gone wrong. The accident is said to have occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday (26th July), between 3 and 4 AM. Twilight hours are known to be dangerous for driving due to changing light conditions that impair visibility.

While three students died upon impact, three were brought to a hospital, after which they succumbed to their injuries. While a couple of packets of marijuana were found in the car, cops say that the primary autopsy reports reveal non-consumption of both marijuana and alcohol.

Here’s additional superintendent of police Rajkumar Shinde‘s statement on this,

During the spot examination of the car, we have found a packet containing a small amount of what is suspected to be marijuana. But the primary autopsy reports of all the six persons do not point to consumption of alcohol or any narcotic substance.

Key dangers on the expressway during monsoons

1. High speeds are responsible for a lot of accidents, as many tend to lose control in the curves or while overtaking.
2. Roads are extra slippery during the monsoons, which calls for cutting speed appropriately.
3. Overloading can cause tyre bursts, and in case of emergency maneuvers – loss of control.
4. Driving during the twilight hours (2 AM to 6 AM) is dangerous due to poor visibility and high probability of sleepy drivers.

Via NDTV, IndianExpress & DNA

Image courtesy ShailStallion