Nagpur: A woman and her 13-year-old son were among four killed in an early morning accident near 8th Mile Weekly Bazaar on Amravati Road. The ambulance carrying them collided with a truck going down the wrong side of the highway. The truck driver managed to drive his vehicle away, leaving five injured in the mangled ambulance, who were later rescued by the cops.
There were 10 persons in the ambulance, including two drivers and one cleaner. The ambulance, owned by BJP's Zilla Parishad president of Agar village Haribhau Baltirath, was bringing two patients to Nagpur, and had started from Akola at 11pm.
The ambulance was transporting Akash Bhalerao (13) and Laxmi Bawne (35) to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The vehicle was damaged to such an extent that cops had to break open a portion of the vehicle to retrieve the bodies and rescue the injured trapped inside it.
Akash, who was being brought to Nagpur for treatment after an earlier accident, did not survive the accident. Laxmi's troubles have just grown after the accident.
Apart from Akash, his mother Vimal (30), a relative Shreeram Dharpawar (40), and the second driver of the ambulance Pramod Band (34) lost their lives. Akash's father Rameshwar miraculously survived despite being seated right behind ambulance driver Gajanan Sardar, who is untraceable after the accident.
The second driver, Band, was supposed to replace Sardar after some time. It was decided to take two drivers since the distance is huge. Mudgal, who worked as cleaner in the ambulance, and suffered minor injuries on the head and face, said Band was the more expert driver.
The Bhalerao couple used to earn their livelihood as farm labourers on cotton farms, and has another elder daughter.
Laxmi Bawne (35), her husband Ambadas Bawne (40), Kisna Bawne (35) and Ishwar Mudgal (24) were injured in the incident. Laxmi's husband Ambadas too received some injuries. The Bawnes, who are now recuperating at Mayo Hospital, too are farm labourers.
Dharpawar, a kin of the Bawne family, had accompanied Laxmi and her family to assist them. He is the father of a four-year-old son and another younger daughter.
On Sunday morning, the Bawnes and Bhaleraos had gone to work in the cotton farms. While returning home, they met with an accident at Khambhora near Akola, when the autorickshaw in which they were travelling turned turtle, after one of its tyres went into a ditch at 3.30pm. Laxmi and Vimal's son Akash were seriously injured in the accident.
Rameshwar said his son Akash and Laxmi were taken to a government hospital at Akola, where the doctors referred them to GMCH, Nagpur. "We were in a slumber when the accident took place. All we can recall is that there was a truck on our side of the road, which fled the spot even as we were all helplessly stuck in the ambulance," he said. "Some of the ambulance passengers, including my son and wife, were thrown on to the road as the impact of the accident had ripped open one side of the ambulance," he said.
Laxmi, who survived two near-fatal accidents in one day, sounded more concerned for her husband and relative. "I have no clue what happened after the accident. I opened my eyes only after reaching this place (Mayo Hospital)," she said.
Sub-inspector SS Kawanpure of Wadi police station said he had reached the place within five minutes of the control room alerting them. "The place is around one-and-a-half kilometres away from the police station. We had to break open the glass and drag out passengers trapped inside," he said.
Head constable Prakash Patil, who was behind the wheel of the patrolling vehicle, was first asked to rush the injured to Mayo Hospital and then shift the bodies.
An offence has been registered against the unidentified truck driver at Wadi police station. PSI Kawanpure said there were no eyewitnesses. There is also little chance of getting CCTV footage in the case, he said.
The cops feel that the accused trucker is likely to be from one of the local transporters, with offices in the vicinity of Power House Gate near 8th Mile in Wadi. "The trucker most probably entered the wrong lane through gaps in the divider, to avoid a long U-turn. We are trying to nab him," said PSI Kawanpure.
There were 10 persons in the ambulance, including two drivers and one cleaner. The ambulance, owned by BJP's Zilla Parishad president of Agar village Haribhau Baltirath, was bringing two patients to Nagpur, and had started from Akola at 11pm.
The ambulance was transporting Akash Bhalerao (13) and Laxmi Bawne (35) to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The vehicle was damaged to such an extent that cops had to break open a portion of the vehicle to retrieve the bodies and rescue the injured trapped inside it.
Akash, who was being brought to Nagpur for treatment after an earlier accident, did not survive the accident. Laxmi's troubles have just grown after the accident.
Apart from Akash, his mother Vimal (30), a relative Shreeram Dharpawar (40), and the second driver of the ambulance Pramod Band (34) lost their lives. Akash's father Rameshwar miraculously survived despite being seated right behind ambulance driver Gajanan Sardar, who is untraceable after the accident.
The second driver, Band, was supposed to replace Sardar after some time. It was decided to take two drivers since the distance is huge. Mudgal, who worked as cleaner in the ambulance, and suffered minor injuries on the head and face, said Band was the more expert driver.
The Bhalerao couple used to earn their livelihood as farm labourers on cotton farms, and has another elder daughter.
Laxmi Bawne (35), her husband Ambadas Bawne (40), Kisna Bawne (35) and Ishwar Mudgal (24) were injured in the incident. Laxmi's husband Ambadas too received some injuries. The Bawnes, who are now recuperating at Mayo Hospital, too are farm labourers.
Dharpawar, a kin of the Bawne family, had accompanied Laxmi and her family to assist them. He is the father of a four-year-old son and another younger daughter.
On Sunday morning, the Bawnes and Bhaleraos had gone to work in the cotton farms. While returning home, they met with an accident at Khambhora near Akola, when the autorickshaw in which they were travelling turned turtle, after one of its tyres went into a ditch at 3.30pm. Laxmi and Vimal's son Akash were seriously injured in the accident.
Rameshwar said his son Akash and Laxmi were taken to a government hospital at Akola, where the doctors referred them to GMCH, Nagpur. "We were in a slumber when the accident took place. All we can recall is that there was a truck on our side of the road, which fled the spot even as we were all helplessly stuck in the ambulance," he said. "Some of the ambulance passengers, including my son and wife, were thrown on to the road as the impact of the accident had ripped open one side of the ambulance," he said.
Laxmi, who survived two near-fatal accidents in one day, sounded more concerned for her husband and relative. "I have no clue what happened after the accident. I opened my eyes only after reaching this place (Mayo Hospital)," she said.
Sub-inspector SS Kawanpure of Wadi police station said he had reached the place within five minutes of the control room alerting them. "The place is around one-and-a-half kilometres away from the police station. We had to break open the glass and drag out passengers trapped inside," he said.
Head constable Prakash Patil, who was behind the wheel of the patrolling vehicle, was first asked to rush the injured to Mayo Hospital and then shift the bodies.
An offence has been registered against the unidentified truck driver at Wadi police station. PSI Kawanpure said there were no eyewitnesses. There is also little chance of getting CCTV footage in the case, he said.
The cops feel that the accused trucker is likely to be from one of the local transporters, with offices in the vicinity of Power House Gate near 8th Mile in Wadi. "The trucker most probably entered the wrong lane through gaps in the divider, to avoid a long U-turn. We are trying to nab him," said PSI Kawanpure.
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