Speeding six-seater driver knocks down four in Wakad, nabbed

PUNE: A constable had a narrow escape on Monday afternoon when a speeding white, covered six-seater vehicle knocked down her scooter at Wakad Chowk on Katraj-Dehu Road bypass. Police suspect the driver of the six-seater was drunk. He was not ferrying passengers.
The rogue driver did not stop after knocking constable Sarita Tupe’s scooter. He wanted to escape from the spot and he knocked down another motorcyclist at the chowk. He turned left towards Wakad from the highway. But before the vehicle was intercepted by the Wakad police and citizens, he had knocked down two pedestrians.

An officer from the Wakad police told TOI, “Along with police constable Tupe, we have sent motorcyclist Hrishikesh Patil to a hospital as he sustained injuries in the accident. The other two persons escaped with minor injuries.”

Tupe is attached to the Talegaon MIDC police in Pune rural. “She was on her way to the police headquarters in Pashan on her scooter when she was hit,” her colleague told TOI. “She sustained minor injuries,” he added.

A cab driver, who witnessed the accident, told TOI that on Monday around 1pm, he was waiting inside his cab on the service road at Wakad Chowk.

“Around the same time, a multi-utility vehicle halted along the bypass and some passengers got down. A constable, who was on her white scooter, had to stop behind the MUV. Before she could move, a speeding six-seater crashed into her scooter,” the cab driver said.

Such was the impact that the scooter was crushed between the MUV and the six- seater. “The constable was lucky she fell off the scooter and did not get stuck between the two vehicles,” he said.

The cab driver said the driver did not stop. He dragged the scooter along with his vehicle for some distance and took a left turn at high speed. “He then knocked down a motorcyclist and drove towards Wakad,” he added.

Police constables, who were at Wakad police chowkey, rushed after the six-seater after hearing the commotion on the highway.

“While speeding, the driver knocked down two pedestrians. We managed to intercept the vehicle at a signal and nabbed the driver. We suspect that the driver was drunk,” a constable said.

The errant driver was handed over to the Hinjewadi police. No offence had been registered till late on Monday. “We will register the offence soon,” inspector Rangnath Unde of the Hinjewadi police, said.