Palghar tempo-truck collision: FIR against both drivers for traffic violations

Police have registered an FIR against the drivers of both a tempo and a truck following a deadly collision on the MumbaiAhmedabad Highway in Maharashtrarsquos Palghar district that claimed 13 lives and left 14 others injured officials said on Tuesday reported PTIThe accident took place near Dhaniwari village in Dahanu taluka at around 4 pm on Monday when a tempo carrying passengers to an engagement ceremony collided with a sandladen truck reported PTIAccording to police the 45yearold tempo driver has been detained for questioning while the injured truck driver remains under treatment at a hospital under police supervisionTempo was allegedly travelling on wrong side of highwayOfficials said preliminary investigations indicated that the tempo was travelling on the wrong side of the MumbaiGujarat carriageway in an attempt to avoid a longer route reported PTIA statement issued by the Palghar district administration said the truck approaching from the opposite direction lost control before its container box crashed into the left side of the tempoA motorcycle was also caught in the collision further worsening the impactThe truck later overturned trapping several victims beneath the cargo Rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched operations to pull out passengers trapped under the wreckage reported PTIPolice said the tempo was carrying between 30 and 40 passengers at the time of the crashFIR registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Motor Vehicles ActAn official from Kasa Police Station said an FIR has been registered against both drivers under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicles Act for alleged traffic violations and negligent driving reported PTIThe tempo driver was taken into custody for further investigation soon after the accidentThe truck driver who sustained injuries in the collision is being treated at a hospital and remains under police watchAuthorities are expected to examine vehicle conditions traffic movement and eyewitness statements as part of the ongoing investigation reported PTIGanesh Naik cites traffic violations as major causePalghar District Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik visited the accident site late Monday night and later met survivors receiving treatment at the hospital reported PTISpeaking to reporters Naik said heavy traffic on the MumbaiAhmedabad Highway and the tempo driverrsquos decision to take a wrongside shortcut contributed to the fatal accidentldquoThis highway witnesses heavy traffic There is a dire need for greater awareness regarding traffic regulations and the law In an unfortunate attempt to avoid a long route and take a shortcut the tempo was driven on the wrong side of the highway which led to this collisionrdquo Naik said reported PTIHe also pointed out that dangerous driving practices and traffic violations are frequently seen on the routeThe minister referred to another recent incident on the same highway in which a dumper collided with a vehicle carrying Palghar BJP MP Hemant Sawra on May 1 While the MP escaped unhurt the driver of the car suffered minor injuries reported PTIInjured victims undergoing treatment in hospitalAccording to Palghar regional disaster cell official Subash Bagde all 14 injured persons were admitted to Vedanta Hospital in Dahanu for treatment reported PTIThree of the injured remain in the Intensive Care Unit ICU while the condition of the remaining patients is reported to be stableOfficials said postmortem examinations of the deceased victims have been completed and the bodies are being handed over to family membersDahanu Tehsildar Sunil Koli confirmed that administrative formalities related to identification and release of bodies were underway reported PTIGovernment announces compensation for victimsrsquo familiesMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those killed in the accidentGanesh Naik also said the Maharashtra government would bear the full medical expenses of all injured victims and continue supporting them even after discharge from hospitalThe accident has once again raised concerns over road safety violations and traffic management on the busy MumbaiAhmedabad Highway which witnesses heavy commercial and passenger vehicle movement dailyWith inputs from PTI