Maharashtra: Speeding at 125 kmph reason behind SUV crash, seat belt rule violation for deaths, says cops

PUNE: Police on Tuesday said the GPS unit attached to the SUV, which crashed into two roadside shops on the Saswad-Kapurhol highway at Narayanpur on Monday, killing two city college students and leaving five others injured, was travelling at 125 kmph at the time of the accident.
Inspector Annasaheb Gholap of the Saswad police told TOI, "The four airbags, two in the front and two in the rear, did not deploy. This is because neither of the two front seat occupants and those in the middle row and the rear seats were wearing seat belts. Airbags open only when the seat belts are strapped around by vehicle occupants."

Pune rural superintendent of police (SP) Abhinav Deshmukh told TOI, "Over-speeding caused the accident. The driver and the person seated next to him claimed that they were wearing seat belts. We have asked the Saswad police to examine the seat belts to find out if they were smooth or whether they have any marks or if they got twisted because of the vehicle jerk.
We will scientifically verify their claims and also find out why the airbags did not open. For this, we will seek technical and expert opinions from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and the sports utility vehicle (SUV) company."
Additional SP for Baramati division Milind Mohite told TOI, "The speed limit for vehicles in the Pune rural area is 80 kmph. In the instant accident, the SUV was travelling at 125 kmph. The driver and the co-passengers in the vehicle were not wearing seat belts. Had they been wearing the seat belts, the two victims might have survived the accident."
"Driving at 125kmph is too much. The driver, while taking a sharp right turn, should have reduced the speed. He did not do so. He also did not switch on the indicator. This is a clear case of flouting traffic norms. There is every possibility that the driver may have felt drowsy as the co-passengers were sleeping," he said.
The officer added, "There is a microsecond difference between an accident and the airbags opening after a crash. If the airbags are pressed, then they won't open. The airbags will also not open if the co-passengers apply weight on them while travelling or sleeping during the journey."
The local residents who pulled the victims out of the SUV told the police that they were not wearing seat belts, inspector Gholap said.
"The student driving the SUV was unable to control it on a sharp right turn because the place was new to him. He was not a professional driver. We have impounded the seven-seater SUV for an RTO inspection."
Vishwas Shinde, the SUV owner, told TOI, "I had purchased the vehicle in 2019 and attached it to an online car rental service provider on a contract basis. One of the students hired the vehicle online after submitting a copy of his driving licence. The vehicle was delivered to the student in Kothrud."
Sub-inspector Vinayak Zinjurke said, "We have as of now registered a case of accidental death. We will take a call on registering a case under Section 304-a (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code once our inquiry is over."