Six hours after an accident on Marine Drive claimed the life of a hotelier’s teenage son, a drunk driver rammed his car into a parked tempo in Andheri late on Tuesday. The driver succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to the MIDC police, the incident occurred at 10.20 p.m. on Tuesday. The driver, Hitesh Shah (35), a resident of Andheri (East), was rushed to the Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle, where he died while under treatment around 5 a.m. the next day.
The police said the collision was massive, indicating a high speed, and Shah sustained serious injuries. He was unconscious when he was taken to the hospital.
“We are still awaiting the blood reports, but there was a strong stench of alcohol when we removed him from the vehicle,” senior police inspector Jagdish Shinde, MIDC police station, said.
He added that it is not yet clear why and how Shah was driving drunk in the middle of a nationwide lockdown, and that this was being investigated.
“An accidental death report has been registered and further inquires are under way,” Mr. Shinde said.
WhatsApp rumours
The police found their work additionally challenging on Tuesday night thanks to WhatsApp rumour mills. While Shah was being taken to the hospital, a rumour that a huge stash of drugs had been found in his car started doing the rounds. The claim was quickly refuted by the police but still caused a lot of inconvenience, officers said.
The incident comes close on the heels of an accident at Marine Drive, in which a Maruti Ciaz driven by 19-year-old Shauryasingh Jain collided with a stationary bus, leaving him severely injured and his friend Aryaman Nagpal (18) dead. The car was allegedly being driven at a very high speed.
The police also tweeted about the incident through their official Twitter handle on Wednesday, cautioning people against the hazards of drunk driving.