Mumbai's potholes claim another life, Virar teacher falls off scooter, dies

The police said the accident occurred on Thursday morning when the woman was on her way to the school where she worked. She succumbed the same day

A 57-year-old teacher died on Thursday after falling off her two-wheeler while riding through a pothole-ridden patch at Jakat Naka in Virar West.

57-year-old Virar teacher falls off scooter due to potholes, dies

The police said the accident occurred on Thursday morning when the woman was on her way to the school where she worked. She succumbed to her injuries late on Thursday. The victim, identified as Teressa Lopez, was a resident of the Agashi neighbourhood in Virar West.

According to witness John Parera, as soon as Lopez reached the foot of the bridge connecting Virar East and Virar West, her Activa scooter hit a pothole, causing her to lose balance and fall off the two-wheeler.

Lopez, who was not wearing a helmet, hit her head on the road, due to which she suffered severe head injuries, said Parera. Some passersby, mostly commuters and shopkeepers, rushed Lopez to the civic-run Bolinj General Hospital in Virar. They also informed the Arnala Sagri police station about the incident. The police then reached the spot and conducted a panchnama. They have registered an accidental death report for now.

“The entire stretch is filled with potholes, and someone or the other keeps losing their life at this junction time and again,” said Parera, who is also the Palghar district head of the Aam Aadmi Party. “The road contractor is responsible for these deaths, and yet he is never booked by the police.” The police said they would investigate if the road contractor’s negligence caused the accident.

This wasn’t the first pothole-related death in the Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar region due to potholes and bad condition of roads. In August 2023, a 27-year-old woman riding pillion on a two-wheeler fell on the road after it hit a pothole at Bapane. She sustained severe head injuries and was admitted to a nearby private hospital, where she died a week later. A case of accidental death was registered by the Naigaon police. Following investigations, the police booked the road contractor for causing death due to negligence.

In April 2024, a 64-year-old woman riding pillion fell from the bike and hit her head on the road after the vehicle hit a pothole. The woman sustained grievous injuries to her head and was declared dead. The police had registered a case of accidental death.

This was also not the first fatal accident at the Jakat Naka junction. In April, a speeding water tanker hit a motorcycle, killing 35-year-old woman, who was riding pillion, on the spot. The Arnala police had arrested the tanker’s driver.