On a single Sunday morning in Maharashtra, two separate road collisions on and near National Highway 61 claimed three lives and sent many more to hospital, reminding us how swiftly the ordinary rhythms of travel can be interrupted by speed and mechanical failure. A father and son from Khedle-Talavale village, along with their driver, did not return home from what may have been a routine journey near Malshej Ghat. Hours later, a state transport bus lost control in Navi Mumbai, scattering vehicles and lives across a stretch of road that thousands cross without incident every day. These events, s
Three killed in head-on van collision near Malshej Ghat; separate bus crash injures multiple
Three people killed (Maruti Tukaram Khare, 55; his son Ajit Maruti Khapare, 25; and driver Ram Malu Sapate, 40) in the Malshej Ghat collision, with two poultry van passengers and multiple MSRTC bus passengers injured.
The impact crushed the front cabins of both vehicles entirely.
Mark
Why does the poultry van driver face charges when both vehicles were speeding?
Mimi
The police report says both were speeding, but only the poultry van driver was charged. We don't know yet if there's a reason—maybe he was going faster, or maybe the pickup van driver was local and the case is still developing.
Luke
That's a fair point. The source says "both vehicles were speeding" but then only names one driver in the case. We should be careful not to assume we know the full picture of fault.
Mark
What about the bus crash—was it definitely brake failure?
Mimi
The report says "suspected brake failure" and that the driver "reportedly lost control." Investigators were still verifying what actually happened.
Luke
Right. "Suspected" and "reportedly" are doing a lot of work there. We don't have confirmation yet, just initial indication. The investigation was ongoing.
Mark
How many people were actually hurt in the bus crash?
Mimi
That's the frustrating part—the source says "the exact number of injured people and the extent of their injuries were not immediately available." We know at least three autos and a car were hit, but we don't have a firm count.
Luke
So we can report that multiple people were injured and hospitalized, but we can't say how many. That's an honest way to handle incomplete information.
Mark
Were these two crashes connected in any way?
Mimi
No. They happened in different parts of the region—one near Malshej Ghat in Thane district, the other in Navi Mumbai, about 30 kilometers away. Same morning, different incidents.
Luke
Two separate events on the same day. That's worth noting because it might suggest a pattern, but the source doesn't claim any connection, and we shouldn't invent one.
Der Puls
- A head-on collision between a speeding pickup van and a poultry delivery vehicle on NH61 near Malshej Ghat killed all three occupants of the pickup van instantly, including a father-son pair.
- The force of the impact crushed both front cabins, leaving no chance of survival for Maruti Tukaram Khare, his son Ajit, and driver Ram Malu Sapate, while two poultry van passengers were hospitalized.
- Police registered a case against the poultry van driver for speeding, with Assistant Inspector Sheetalkumar Naik confirming both vehicles were traveling at excessive speed at the moment of impact.
- Just hours later and 30 kilometers south, an MSRTC bus traveling toward Murud lost control near CBD Belapur, plowing into auto-rickshaws and a car in what may have been a brake failure.
- Injured passengers from the bus crash were rushed to MGM Hospital in Belapur as officers cleared wreckage and worked to reopen the disrupted road, with the full toll still being assessed.
- Investigations into both incidents remain active, with authorities examining speed, mechanical condition, and driver conduct as Maharashtra confronts the persistent dangers on its highways.
On a single Sunday morning in Maharashtra, two separate road collisions on and near National Highway 61 claimed three lives and sent many more to hospital, reminding us how swiftly the ordinary rhythms of travel can be interrupted by speed and mechanical failure. A father and son from Khedle-Talavale village, along with their driver, did not return home from what may have been a routine journey near Malshej Ghat. Hours later, a state transport bus lost control in Navi Mumbai, scattering vehicles and lives across a stretch of road that thousands cross without incident every day. These events, separated by kilometers but joined by the same morning, speak to the fragile compact between road, machine, and human intention.
Sunday morning on National Highway 61 near Malshej Ghat began with tragedy when a pickup van carrying residents from Khedle-Talavale village collided head-on with a poultry delivery vehicle in Murbad taluka. Both were moving at speed, and the impact was devastating — the front cabins of both vehicles were crushed entirely. All three occupants of the pickup van were killed at the scene: Maruti Tukaram Khare, 55, his son Ajit Maruti Khapare, 25, and their driver Ram Malu Sapate, 40. The two passengers in the poultry van survived but were seriously injured and taken to hospital.
Police registered a case against the poultry van driver, with Assistant Inspector Sheetalkumar Naik of Tokawade police station confirming that excessive speed on both sides contributed to the collision. The loss of a father and son in the same moment gave the incident a particular weight as investigators began gathering evidence.
Hours later, roughly 30 kilometers south in Navi Mumbai, an MSRTC bus traveling from Mumbai toward Murud lost control near CBD Belapur. Early reports suggested possible brake failure. The bus struck at least three auto-rickshaws and a car, sending panic through the area and injuring multiple passengers, who were transported to MGM Hospital. Traffic was disrupted as officers worked to clear the wreckage.
By the end of the morning, two separate incidents had claimed at least three lives and left many others hospitalized across Thane district and Navi Mumbai. Investigations into both crashes remained ongoing, with authorities examining speed, mechanical condition, and the precise sequence of events — a sobering accounting of what a single day on Maharashtra's roads can cost.
Sunday morning on National Highway 61 near Malshej Ghat brought two separate collisions that left at least three people dead and a dozen more injured across Maharashtra's Thane district and Navi Mumbai. The first crash, the deadlier of the two, occurred in Murbad taluka when a pickup van carrying residents from Khedle-Talavale village met a poultry delivery vehicle head-on. Both were traveling at speed. The impact was severe enough to crush the front cabins of both vehicles entirely.
All three people in the pickup van died at the scene. They were identified as Maruti Tukaram Khare, 55, his son Ajit Maruti Khapare, 25, and the driver Ram Malu Sapate, 40. The poultry van, which was headed toward Kalyan, carried two passengers who survived the collision but sustained injuries serious enough to require hospital care. Police arrived and began their initial inquiry, ultimately registering a case against the poultry van driver under relevant legal provisions. Assistant Inspector Sheetalkumar Naik of Tokawade police station confirmed that both vehicles had been speeding at the moment of impact.
Hours later the same morning, roughly 30 kilometers south in Navi Mumbai, a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus traveling from Mumbai toward Murud lost control near CBD Belapur. The driver, according to initial reports, may have experienced brake failure. The bus plowed into at least three auto-rickshaws and a car, scattering vehicles and sending panic through the area. Police responded and began clearing the wreckage while injured passengers were transported to MGM Hospital in Belapur. The exact number of people hurt in the bus crash and the severity of their injuries were not immediately confirmed, though the incident disrupted traffic in the area as officers worked to reopen the road.
Investigators were still working to establish the precise sequence of events in the bus crash and to verify whether brake failure was indeed the cause. The circumstances that led to both collisions—the speed, the timing, the mechanical condition of the vehicles—remained under examination as authorities gathered statements and evidence. What was certain was that two separate incidents on the same day had claimed at least three lives and left multiple others hospitalized, underscoring the hazards that persist on Maharashtra's highways.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Both vehicles were speeding when the accident occurred.— Assistant Inspector Sheetalkumar Naik, Tokawade police station
The exact number of injured people and the extent of their injuries were not immediately available.— Officials investigating the MSRTC bus crash
Möchten Sie die ganze Geschichte?
Das Original lesen bei Lokmat Times ↗
Transportation