The Palghar district police on Wednesday arrested the cab driver who ran a couple over in Vasai on December 21, flinging the man in the air and running him over twice, before speeding away. Police sources said Santosh Pandey alias Triveniprasad, 40, the driver, had fled to his village in Uttar Pradesh on the day of the accident, and returned recently. They said he claimed to have fallen asleep at the wheel after 24 hours of work and didn't realise he had run someone over.

The accused confessed to his crime during the investigation. "He said after 24 hours of constant work, he fell asleep while driving. He woke up when he rammed the car and did not know what had happened. He didn't realise that he had hit someone and got scared and tried to flee," said a police official.