Pune: Police have filed a case of culpable homicide against the deceased driver and cleaner of a truck involved in a devastating crash on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway that claimed eight lives and left 14 others injured, officials said on Friday. The owner of the truck has also been booked under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The accident occurred Thursday evening on the Navale Bridge, a stretch notorious for frequent collisions. Authorities reported that a heavy container truck lost control, allegedly due to brake failure, colliding with multiple vehicles, including a minibus, before smashing into another large container truck. A car caught in between the two trucks was crushed completely, resulting in the deaths of all five occupants. Another three people, including a resident of Satara district, also lost their lives.
Police identified the deceased truck driver as Rustam Khan (35) and the cleaner as Mushtaq Khan (31), both hailing from Rajasthan. The truck owner, Tahir Khan (45), was not present in the vehicle during the incident. Authorities suspect the car’s CNG kit exploded upon impact, which ignited a fire engulfing all three vehicles.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sambhaji Kadam said, “We have registered offences against the truck driver, cleaner, and owner for culpable homicide and other relevant charges.”
The victims were reportedly returning from Narayanpur, a religious site in Pune district, when the tragedy occurred.
Union Minister and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol is expected to visit the crash site along with officials from the National Highway Authority of India, Pune municipal authorities, and the local police. The Navale Bridge, particularly the slope on the Satara-Mumbai lane, has a history of fatal accidents, highlighting the need for increased safety measures on this stretch of the highway.
