Bus carrying intl flight crew collides with tempo; driver killed

Mumbai: A 25-year-old driver of a stationary tempo was killed after a luxury bus collided with it in the wee hours of Friday at Western Express Highway (WEH) in Vakola

Mumbai: A 25-year-old driver of a stationary tempo was killed after a luxury bus collided with it in the wee hours of Friday at Western Express Highway (WEH) in Vakola.

HT Image

Police officials said the luxury bus was carrying crew members of an international airline and its driver, who had been booked by the Vakola police, fled from the spot after the incident.

According to police officials, the tempo was stationary while the bus was coming towards it at high speed when the incident took place early on Friday. They said that the tempo seemed to have developed a snag while moving southwards and therefore its driver – Akhtar Chowdhary had to stop the vehicle on the highway.

“While he was trying to call for help, the luxury bus that was taking the airline employees to a five-star hotel in Bandra came speeding from the opposite direction. Chowdhary sustained serious injuries after being rammed by the bus, and died on the spot,” said the officer.

The tempo, he added, was carrying fish to the nearby markets.

None of the passengers travelling by bus was injured. However, the bus driver fled from the spot immediately after the incident.

“We have booked the bus driver under sections 279 (rash driving), 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. We are on the lookout for the driver and further investigation is underway,” the official said.