Driver loses control, dies after truck damages vehicles & house

Nagpur: The congested slums on either side of the IBM road experienced a scary incident on Tuesday after a truck carrying pre-mixed bitumen for levelling roads fell on its right side after damaging five two-wheelers, one auto-rickshaw, a pan kiosk and the boundary wall of a house. The driver died on the spot in the accident which took place near Badi Masjid.
MSEDCL sources said the truck belonged to one of vendors who had laid a cable along the side of the road and was in the process to restore the dug up stretch and level it. The driver made a mistake by taking the loaded truck down the slope following which he lost control of the vehicle as the brakes failed.
There could have been a bigger tragedy if it wasn’t for the rains as the narrow road is always buzzing with people and children.
The family of Rizwan Khan Rumi, which has 42 members, including children,
had a narrow escape after the truck entered their premises after damaging their two-wheelers and pan kiosk.
The driver, Nitesh Aratpayare (26), who tried to flee by jumping out of the cabin as his truck had entered the house through the boundary wall, died after getting trapped under the ill-fated vehicle which fell on him.
According to eyewitnesses, the rear side of the truck got detached due to the impact of the hit and fell on the right side with the driver getting crushed under it.
Rumi, who was at his grocery shop opposite his residence, said he was alerted by the noise of the truck rushing down the slope. “The driver was screaming, trying to alert passers-by after the truck went out of control,” he said.
“It was a dreadful sight to see the truck entering our house and leaving our two-wheelers damaged,” said Rumi who is also a political activist.
Rumi also said that the auto-rickshaw damaged in the incident belonged to one Altaf Shaikh who is already bed-ridden with an injury.
An offence was registered at Gittikhadan police station.