Helmetless man in coma after bike crash

PUNE: A 72-year-old man, who was not wearing a helmet, is in a coma after he suffered grievous head injuries in a two-wheeler accident in Hadapsar on the night of April 20.

The man, Balasaheb Shelke, is in the intensive care unit of Noble hospital in Hadapsar.

Doctors said he suffered from multiple injuries on his head in the accident, in which a high-end motorcycle rammed his scooter. The incident occurred near PDCC Bank in Mahadeonagar on Manjari Road.

“The patient underwent a surgery for a severe brain injury. His condition has been critical from the beginning. He has slipped into a coma,” the hospital’s managing director Dilip Mane told TOI.

“My father always wore an excellent quality helmet, but on Sunday night, he left it in the boot of his scooter as he only had to travel a short distance,” his son Jaiprakash told TOI.

Jaiprakash pieced together what happened from eyewitness accounts. “He went to a shop near our house and bought a coconut. He then drove a little ahead and took a U-turn at a gap in the median and was riding, when a person riding a high-end motorcycle at a high-speed lost control over the vehicle and rammed the scooter,” Jaiprakash said.

The accident occurred at 10.10pm. The spot was poorly lit by low-strength street lights and the motorcycle’s headlight was turned off.

“Passers-by told me that the impact of the accident was so severe that was father was thrown in the air. He landed on his head and suffered serious injuries,” Jaiprakash added.

A passer-by informed him, following which he rushed to the spot. “We took to to a nearby hospital for treatment,” Jaiprakash said. “Passers-by told us that the biker appeared to be a youth. He overtook two other motorcycles before losing control and hitting my father’s bike from the rear. The vehicle too is damaged,” he said.

The suspect fled the spot. “With the help of police, we are checking CCTV cameras to ascertain the registration number of the motorcycle,” Jaiprakash added.

An official from the Hadapsar police station said, “We are trying our best to identify the motorcycle rider.”