Four family members killed in Samruddhi Expressway crash

NAGPUR: Four family members died in a crash on the Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, raising concerns over safety on the accident-prone expressway.

NAGPUR: In yet another fatal accident on the Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, four members of a family were killed late Thursday night after their car crashed into a divider near Karanja in Washim district.

Four family members killed in Samruddhi Expressway crash

A total of approximately 2,500 accidents have taken place on the Samruddhi Expressway between December 2022 and July 3, 2025, of which 135 were fatal, resulting in the death of more than 225 people.

The incident occurred between Wanoja and Karanja, when the Jaiswal family from Umred in Nagpur district was returning home from Pune after attending a family function. The vehicle, carrying five people, is believed to have lost control near channel number 215 on the expressway and rammed into the central divider.

Four passengers died in the crash, while the driver sustained serious injuries. The deceased have been identified as Vaidehi Jaiswal, 25, Madhuri Jaiswal, 52, Radheshyam Jaiswal, 67, and Sangeeta Jaiswal, 55. The driver, Chetan Helge, 25, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Washim.

“Two of the victims died on the spot. The others were rushed to hospital, where Radheshyam and Sangeeta succumbed during treatment,” said Kishore Shelke, police inspector, Mangrulpir.

Preliminary investigations by the Mangrulpir police suggest that the driver lost control of the vehicle, but the exact cause is still being probed. Road conditions and potential human error are being examined.

Radheshyam Jaiswal was a well-known businessman in Umred and a respected figure in the local trading community.

The 701-km Samruddhi Expressway, which became fully operational on June 5, 2024, has significantly cut travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur. However, the expressway has seen a series of fatal accidents. One of the worst occurred on July 1, 2023, when 25 passengers died in a bus fire near Buldhana. The spate of accidents has triggered growing concern over road safety and enforcement on the high-speed corridor.