Infant killed, mother injured while crossing Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Police said the woman, identified as Suvarna Shankar Kale, 24, a labourer from Adaigaon, was attempting to cross from one side of the carriageway to the other with her infant tied to her back when a car hit them

MUMBAI: The Mumbai–Pune Expressway, a high-speed corridor where pedestrians are barred, turned fatal on Friday evening as a five-month-old baby died and his mother was injured after she allegedly tried to cross the stretch amid heavy traffic near Adaigaon in New Panvel.

Infant killed, mother injured while crossing Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Police said the woman, identified as Suvarna Shankar Kale, 24, a labourer from Adaigaon, was attempting to cross from one side of the carriageway to the other with her infant tied to her back when a car hit them.

The vehicle, a Hyundai Creta, was being driven by Sanket Balwant Chavan, 29, a resident of Andheri East, who was travelling towards Mumbai with his employer after attending an event.

“Walking on the expressway is strictly prohibited. Even two-wheelers are not allowed. The woman had tied the baby to her back; following the accident, the infant suffered fatal injuries. Why she was walking on this stretch is not yet known,” said senior police inspector Smita Dhakne.

The driver immediately rushed the injured woman and the child to a nearby hospital, where the infant was declared dead. The child’s body has been sent for post-mortem, while the woman remains admitted and is undergoing treatment, police said.

The impact also caused damage to the car. An FIR has been registered based on the driver’s complaint under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicles Act.

Police reiterated that pedestrians are barred from the expressway and urged the public to follow safety norms to prevent such fatal incidents.