Speeding, single carriageway blamed for fatal collision on Kalyan-Ahilyanagar highway

1. People get into the Eeco van despite it already being packed. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

Eleven people were killed in an accident on the Rayate bridge along the Kalyan-Ahilyanagar highway near Murbad on Monday morning. Preliminary findings by the police suggest speeding led to a head-on collision between a Maruti Eeco heading towards Murbad and a concrete mixer truck travelling towards Kalyan, as traffic was operating on a single carriageway. The impact overturned the Eeco, killing all occupants on the spot.

2. The driver of the speeding vehicle loses control and crashes into a cement mixer vehicle coming from the opposite direction

Villages on the way

The incident took place on the newly opened Mumbai-Vadodara National Highway stretch connecting Kalyan to Murbad, locally known as the Kalyan-Murbad road, which extends up to Titwala and beyond. The route passes through several small villages, with residents largely relying on public transport for daily commute.

3. Locals rush in to rescue those trapped in the mangled Eeco van

The accident occurred on a two-lane stretch where one carriageway towards Murbad is still under construction, forcing traffic from both directions onto a single side. According to police, all the victims were locals - residents of villages along the Kalyan-Murbad-Titwala belt (Goveli, Rayate, Devgaon, Tembhare, Devraliwadi), and nearby hamlets - who frequently travelled on the same route using similar vehicles. For years, Eeco vans, designed to seat six, including the driver, have been illegally ferrying passengers in large numbers.

The mangled Eeco van after the crash. Pics/By Special Arrangement

Truck driver flees

The police have booked the drivers of both vehicles. While the Eeco driver died, the driver of the concrete mixer truck fled the scene. An FIR has been registered against them under charges of negligence amounting to death, rash and negligent driving, speeding, and overloading.

All occupants killed

While nine occupants of the Eeco, including the driver, were crushed inside the vehicle after it overturned on impact, two others were flung onto the road and taken to a different hospital.

. Prashant alias Bablu Rupesh Chandane, 21
. Bhushan Ghorpade, 49
. Jija Govinda Kembari, 50
. Ananta Pawar, 38
. Deepak Gavli, 38
. Ganpat Jainu Madhe, 32
. Sneha Mohpe, 22
. Mansi Mohpe, 20
. Prathamesh Mohpe, 17
(Remaining victims yet to be identified)

Voices

A traffic police officer,
‘Drivers make people squeeze in, sit between rows, and crowd together to maximise earnings per trip. In this case too, around 13-15 people were packed into the vehicle.'

MLASpeak

Kisan Shankar Kathore, MLA, Murbad Assembly constituency
‘The road cannot be blamed; it is newly constructed and in good condition. It's possible the driver lost control while braking, which could have caused the collision. But people must also take responsibility. Why board a vehicle meant for six when there are already over 10 passengers inside? I will take up the matter with higher authorities and seek accountability.'