01 January,2026 09:11 PM IST | Latur | mid-day online correspondent
Locals claimed that the stretch has witnessed nearly 100 fatalities over time. Representational pic
A woman was killed after her scooter was hit by a speeding car on the Ratnapur-Nagpur National Highway in Latur, Maharashtra, triggering protests by her family members, news agency PTI reported, quoting the police on Thursday.
The accident occurred at Vasantrao Naik Chowk on Wednesday night. The victim, identified as Pratiksha Tarachand Rathod, died on the spot, an officer said.
Angered by the incident, Rathod's kin brought her body in an ambulance onto the highway and staged a ârasta roko', burning tyres, and raising slogans against the authorities. They demanded the immediate arrest of the car driver involved in the accident and urgent safety measures on the highway, PTI reported.
Local residents claimed that the stretch between Rajiv Gandhi Chowk and Garud Chowk has witnessed nearly 100 fatalities over time due to high-speed traffic and the absence of speed breakers.
Tension prevailed in the area for a few hours before police and civic officials intervened, pacified the protesters, and restored normal traffic movement on the busy arterial road, the officer added.
A fatal accident occurred early on New Year's Day when a wet-lease Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus collided with a private truck at Aarey Colony in Mumbai, leaving the truck driver dead and the bus conductor and driver injured.
The incident took place around 6.20 am near Gate No 5 of Aarey Colony. The bus, attached to Vikhroli Depot and operating on route A-478 Sr 33 was en route to Borivali Station.
According to officials, the private truck, coming from the opposite direction, lost control on the rain-soaked road. The truck's tyre reportedly slipped, causing the vehicle to veer towards the bus and hit its front-right portion near the driver's cabin.
BEST bus driver Mohammad Rafiq Shaikh (48) sustained a head injury on the left side due to the front windshield breaking, along with injuries to his right leg and knee. The conductor, Ravindra Pandurang Shembadkar (56), has suffered minor injuries to his left hand and left leg.
The private truck driver, Cheharaj Thakur (30), a resident of Gujarat, sustained severe injuries and died during treatment.
All the three - the bus driver, conductor, and truck driver - were immediately rushed to Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari East. The BEST driver underwent a CT scan and is reported to be fully conscious and stable, while the conductor is recovering from minor injuries.
(With PTI inputs)
