Elphinstone Flyover accident: SUV driver says he pressed accelerator instead of brakes

The impact killed taxi driver Shankar Aiyya Goliwada, 65, a resident of Mhada Colony in Goregaon, and his passenger, flower vendor Rekha Manu Jhavmuriya, 55, from Bakri Adda in Chinchpokli. The SUV then somersaulted multiple times before crashing into the flyover’s railings

MUMBAI: Two days after the fatal accident on Parel’s Elphinstone Flyover that claimed the lives of a kaali-peeli driver and a 55-year-old flower vendor, the 21-year-old SUV driver—accused of speeding—claimed that he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes while overtaking, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and crash.

Mumbai, India. Mar 29, 2025: 21-year-old Priyanshu Vander (Red T-shirt) was detained by Mumbai police after his SUV car collided with a taxi on the Senapati Bapat Flyover in the Dadar area of Mumbai. A taxi driver and a female passenger lost their lives after a speeding SUV collided with their taxi on the Senapati Bapat flyover in the Dadar area of Mumbai on Saturday afternoon. Mumbai, India. Mar 29, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

The accident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Priyanshu Amar Vandre, an engineering student from Shah & Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College in Chembur, attempted to overtake another vehicle. According to the Dadar police, Vandre mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes, causing his Mahindra XUV 700 to veer into the southbound lane and collide head-on with a kaali-peeli (black-and-yellow) taxi. The impact killed taxi driver Shankar Aiyya Goliwada, 65, a resident of Mhada Colony in Goregaon, and his passenger, flower vendor Rekha Manu Jhavmuriya, 55, from Bakri Adda in Chinchpokli. The SUV then somersaulted multiple times before crashing into the flyover’s railings.

Dadar police have booked Vandre under section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) and section 281 (rash or negligent driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with section 184 (dangerous driving) of the Motor Vehicles Act. He was served a notice under section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and allowed to go.

Meanwhile, the family of Rekha Jhavmuriya has alleged that valuables worth ₹1.85 lakh went missing from the accident site. Her son, Amit Jhavmuriya Parmar, claimed that his mother was carrying ₹1.5 lakh worth of gold jewellery and ₹35,000 in cash, which she had intended to mortgage to repay a ₹1 lakh loan. However, only some jewellery found on her body was recovered, while the rest, kept in her purse, has disappeared.

“We have informed the police and will soon file an official complaint after completing the necessary formalities. We are currently in Gujarat at our native place,” Amit said.

The Dadar police have assured that they will review CCTV footage and videos from the accident site to determine whether the missing valuables were taken by anyone. They also confirmed that Vandre tested negative for alcohol consumption at the time of the crash.