Pune road accident survivor fights to rebuild life after devastating crash

Santosh, after the accident. Pics/By Special Arrangement

A road accident rarely ends at the crash site. For many families, it marks the beginning of a long struggle with disability, mounting medical bills and an uncertain future. For Pune resident Santosh Waichal, a late-night accident on the Pune-Nashik Highway in 2024 cost him his speech, his leg, and his livelihood. Today, his wife and son are holding the family together while hoping rehabilitation will one day give him a second chance at independence.

Santosh, before the accident with his wife Shital and son Aditya, who now shoulder the family's responsibilities

Santosh Waichal

Age: 45
Residence: Sudarshan Nagar, Pimple Gurav, Pune
Education: BSc graduate
Profession: Production manager at a rubber manufacturing company in Chakan
Family: Wife Shital and son Aditya, a first-year Civil Engineering student

Timeline

Before the accident
>> Working as a production manager.
>>Had resigned and was preparing to join a new company.

2024
>>Met with a road accident around 12.30 am near Nashik Phata on the Pune-Nashik Highway.
>>Was riding a two-wheeler and was not wearing a helmet.
>>Sustained a severe head injury and fractures in both legs.

During recovery

>> Injured leg developed gangrene after an infection.
>>Doctors amputated the leg below the knee.

Today
>>Bedridden.
>>Unable to speak.
>>Can recognise family members and communicate only through facial expressions.
>>Unable to use his prosthetic leg because he cannot stand without support.

The accident

According to his wife, Shital Waichal, the exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
After receiving a call from people who found Santosh's mobile phone, the family rushed to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital before shifting him to a private hospital because of the severity of his head injuries.

Wife speaks

Shital Waichal
"We received a call from people who found my husband's mobile phone after the accident. We immediately rushed to YCM Hospital, but a doctor advised us to shift him to a private hospital because of the severity of his head injuries. The accident completely changed his life. He suffered a severe head injury and fractures in both legs. Since then, he has been bedridden."

The rehabilitation they cannot afford

Doctors recommended:
>>Regular physiotherapy.
>>Speech therapy.

The problem

>>Cost per therapy session: Around Rs 2000.
>>The family has never been able to afford the treatment.
A charitable organisation later donated an artificial limb, but Santosh has been unable to use it because he cannot stand or walk independently.

A family in survival mode

>>Shital cannot take up a full-time job because Santosh needs constant care.
>>Son Aditya is pursuing his first year of Civil Engineering while helping the family cope with the crisis.
>>Friends who recently visited Santosh were shocked by the transformation of the once-active production manager.

The financial toll

Treatment expenses
Total treatment cost Rs 10-12 lakh
Monthly medicines: Around Rs 7000

How the family managed
>>Borrowed from relatives.
>>Took loans.
>> Received discounts from some doctors on medical bills.