19-year-old drunk biker crashes bike into divider on WEH, pillion friend killed

A 22-year-old pillion rider died in Mumbai after his drunk friend crashed their motorcycle into a divider on the Western Express Highway.

MUMBAI: A 22-year-old pillion rider died after his 19-year-old drunk friend who was riding the two-wheeler in high speed crashed into a divider on the Western Express Highway (WEH) near Kherwadi in the early hours of Tuesday. According to the Vakola police, the victim has been identified as Siddhesh Gurav, a resident of Andheri East.

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The officers said Siddhesh left his house around 8.40pm on Monday to meet his friend Vaibhav Mohite, the biker, without informing his parents. Siddhesh’s father, Sanjay, 45, who works at a private clinic, said that since he was not aware of where his son was, he began calling him to find his whereabouts. At 10.45pm Siddhesh answered his father’s call and told him that he was with his friend and would return home by 11.30pm. “When Siddhesh did not return till 12am, we called him but there was no response,” said Sanjay.

At 2.30am on Tuesday, Gurav’s friend went to his house and informed his father that Siddhesh and Mohite met with an accident while travelling to Patragate on the Western Express Highway. Both the biker and the pillion were injured in the accident and rushed to the VN Desai hospital. “We rushed to the hospital and were told that Siddhesh had died, and Mohite was in a critical condition,” said Siddhesh’s father Sanjay.

Prakash Khandekar, senior police inspector of Vakola police station said that Mohite was riding his motorcycle bearing the registration number MH 02 FV8529 with Siddhesh riding pillion. Khandekar said that both men had consumed alcohol.

When their motorcycle reached the Vakola bridge, Moihte, who was riding the bike at a very high speed, lost control of his two-wheeler and crashed into the divider separating the north and south-bound carriageways, Khandekar said.

Due to the strong impact of the crash, Siddhesh was flung off the bike and fell hitting his head on the road. Some passersby, who witnessed the accident, called up the police and a team then visited the spot and rushed the men to the hospital. “We have booked Mohite under sections of 304A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act for rash drunk driving. “Mohite is in a critical condition,” said Khandekar.