Biker dies due to incomplete white-topping work on Mum-Ahm highway

A biker died after his motorcycle got stuck in a gap on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, leading to a collision with a truck that fled the scene.

MUMBAI: A 30-year-old biker died after his bike got stuck in a cavity between a white-topping and asphalt road on the Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway early on Thursday. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) left the white-topping work incomplete without cautioning the motorists.

Biker dies due to incomplete white-topping work on Mum-Ahm highway

White-topping involves replacing traditional asphalt roads with concrete to increase their lifespan.

According to police, the accident occurred around 4.00am on the northbound stretch of the NH-48 opposite the Ashok Layland godown near Sasunavghar village in Naigaon when the deceased identified as Elton Eugene Fernandes was returning home from the office.

Balram Palkar, police sub-inspector from the Naigaon police station said that Fernandes was riding his Hero Honda motorcycle bearing the registration number MH 48 CZ 1035. When Fernandes reached the Ashok Layland godown, he was on the white topping section of the road and when he attempted to get off the portion, the tyre of his bike got stuck in the gap between the cemented portion and the asphalt road, causing the two-wheeler to skid. As a result, Fernandes fell and was crushed under a truck that was travelling parallel to the bike. Due to the speed and the darkness, the trailer driver did not notice the biker falling. The trailer driver fled the spot without stopping or giving Fernandes any medical assistance.

“A cab aggregator driver who was behind the trailer witnessed the accident and called up the police emergency number to report it. As it was dark, the cab driver only saw that the trailer was white. He could not note down its number,” said Palkar.

The Naigaon police reached the spot as the accident caused a traffic jam. They rushed Fernandes to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. “We have booked the trailer driver under sections 106 (1), 281, 125 (a) and 125 (b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death due to rash and negligent driving, endangering life and personal safety of others,” said Palkar.

The police are tracing the driver of the trailer with the help of CCTVs of the stretch.