Mishap at Mumbai-Pune Expressway kills one, injures four

A 37-year-old man was killed and four others, including three minors, were injured after the car they were travelling in rammed into a divider of the Mumbai-Pune expressway on Wednesday. The impact of the crash resulted in the engine being pushed from the front to the rear end of the car.

According to the police, Pavan Chawla, a Pune resident, and his family had arrived in Mumbai on Monday for work. The incident took place when they were on their way back on Wednesday morning. Around 10.30 am, when they were crossing Kombivli village near Khalapur in Raigad district, Chawla who was driving lost control of the vehicle.

“Chawla suffered severe injuries on his head and other parts of his body. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to his injuries,” said a police officer from Khalapur police station. Chawla’s wife Isha, 32; daughters Harsha, 10 and Netal, 8; and nephew Dheeraj, 13, also suffered injuries and were admitted to a hospital in Mumbai. “They are still under observation,” the police officer said.

Police are yet to determine what caused the accident. “Prima facie, it appears that Chawla was speeding while crossing the stretch and thus, lost control of the vehicle and rammed it into the divider.”

“We will take his wife’s statements once she is stable,” s­­­­aid another police officer.