Early Morning Crash on Pune's Dangerous Highway Stretch
A car met with a serious accident on the busy Pune-Bengaluru highway in the early hours of Monday, adding to the growing list of incidents on this treacherous stretch. The collision occurred around 5am between Wadgaon Bridge and Navale Bridge, raising fresh concerns about road safety in the area.
According to the Sinhagad Road police, the vehicle first smashed into a road divider before swerving violently to the left. The impact was severe enough to break through the safety railings, sending the car tumbling down onto the service road below.
Miraculous Escape and Bizarre Aftermath
In a surprising turn of events, both occupants managed to walk away from the wreckage unharmed. CCTV footage obtained from the area captured the two men abandoning the damaged vehicle in the middle of the service lane and simply walking away from the scene.
Senior inspector Dilip Dhaingade of the Sinhagad Road police confirmed the sequence of events. "The occupants abandoned the car in the middle of the service lane and walked away, as seen in a CCTV footage procured from the area," he stated.
Police later traced the two men to their residence in Dhayari during the evening hours. "They had returned home and fallen asleep immediately, as they were extremely drowsy. Fortunately, they did not suffer any injuries," Inspector Dhaingade revealed.
Investigation Points to Driver Fatigue
The police investigation suggests that the car was traveling from Sinhagad Road toward Satara when the accident occurred. Authorities strongly suspect that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, leading to the loss of control that caused the chain-reaction collision.
"We suspect the driver dozed off and lost control of the vehicle, leading to the accident," Dhaingade added, highlighting the dangers of driving while fatigued.
This incident brings back painful memories of the November 13 tragedy on the same stretch that claimed eight lives and left thirteen people injured. In that horrific accident, a Mumbai-bound trailer truck had plowed through thirteen vehicles on the Bhumkar bridge-Navale Bridge section, dragging a car for several meters before finally crashing into another truck.
In response to the growing safety concerns, authorities have announced that a 30kmph speed limit will be enforced on the Navale Bridge stretch of the Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass starting Tuesday. This measure aims to prevent further accidents on this dangerous section of the highway that has witnessed multiple serious incidents in recent months.
