Girl crushed to death in Thane as truck loses control

THANE: A 14-year-old girl died after she was crushed under a truck that lost control and turned over on her shanty early on Friday on the arterial Mumbai-Nashik highway, police said.
Avinash Sawant, chief at the regional disaster management cell, Thane, said the incident was reported around 6am on the Nashikbound lane of the highway.
The victim was a toy vendor and a native of Gujarat, and was staying in the area for some time, officials said.
“The truck was probably speeding down the flyover when a vehicle in front of it suddenly slammed the brakes, following which the driver swerved his vehicle to avoid a collision. This may have led the truck to skid, turn over and crash on the shanties along the roadside. The girl was alone and sleeping at the time of the mishap,” said senior inspector Uttam Sonawane at Kapurbawdi police station.
Locals and passersby rushed to help, police used a crane and extricated the girl from under the truck, and rushed to a local hospital where she was declared dead.
Police registered a case against the unidentified truck driver who escaped after the incident.