Wrong-side-driven JCB knocks 2 dead, 1 critical

Nagpur: Two of the three youngsters, Prithviraj Jadhav and Sushant Nagdevte, both in their early 20s, died after their bike collided head-on with a JCB, engaged in road construction work on Nagpur-Jabalpur highway, at about 8pm on Sunday. Third biker Shubham Wagh, also in 20s, is battling for life at a private hospital. The JCB was on the wrong side of the road.
The impact of the dash was such that Wagh had landed into the cabin of the JCB, MH 34 L 6679, shattering the glass panes after getting flung from the seat of the bike on which he had been riding pillion. Wagh, a student, was seated behind Jadhav. The bike, which belonged to a friend of the victims, was being driven by Nagdevte, the only son of a widow.
The three youngsters, riding triple-seat and without helmet, were returning to the city after meeting a friend and also visiting temples at Ramtek. Sources said the JCB had taken a U-turn to head towards the bypass where road construction work is underway when the bike rammed into it.
Jadhav, a final year student of polytechnic, was also the only son of his parents. His both elder sisters stay outstation. Jadhav’s father drives school bus. Wagh and Nagdevte are neighbours in Adivasi Colony of south Nagpur while Jadhav resided at Raghuji Nagar. Family and friends of Jadhav and Wagh stated that the trio did not inform their respective families about the trip to Ramtek. The families were informed by the police about the accident with the help of the victims’ mobile phones and other documents.
The driver of the JCB, who had fled the spot abandoning the vehicle, is yet to be nabbed. Kalamna police, which had shifted the bodies to Mayo hospital mortuary and the injured to a hospital, were not able to nab the driver till going to the press. Police sources stated that the JCB belonged to one Verma, but cops were clueless about which agency had engaged the vehicle.
One of the police personnel, who had gone to the site after receiving information, said the place is accident-prone spot as there is no street light. “The place is a black spot where many accidents have taken place in the past too,” said the cop.
Kalamna police, after seizing the JCB, have registered an offence against the unidentified driver for rash and negligent driving.
Senior PI Vishwanath Chauhan said a team has already left for rounding up the erring driver. “We hope to nab the driver soon following which the name of the agency and contractor under whom he had been working would be clear,’ he said.
Sushant was the only son of a paralytic widow
Nagpur: Sushant was the only son of Usha Nagdevte, who is afflicted with paralysis. Around two years ago, Sushant’s father had passed away. In 2016, Usha had taken voluntary retirement from service as a nurse in Gadchiroli. She had also served in remote Maoist-infested Kasansoor village in Etapalli taluka of south Gadchiroli before the paralytic attack forced her to opt for VRS.
Usha’s pension was the only income of the family apart from her son’s occasional income as a catering service worker. Sushant had initially purchased a scooter but later started using a friend’s sports bike.
“Most of her pension is spent in medicines. She is looked after by a domestic help. Her son’s income was a support for her, but it’s gone now,” said a family source.