Palghar cops ask CIRT’s help to rectify design flaws at accident spot

The Palghar police has written to the Central Institute for Road Transport (CIRT) in Pune seeking their advice on whether the particular spot on National Highway 48 where Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole died in a car accident on Sunday, is designed faultily

Mumbai: The Palghar police has written to the Central Institute for Road Transport (CIRT) in Pune seeking their advice on whether the particular spot on National Highway 48 where Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole died in a car accident on Sunday, is designed faultily.

The CIRT, a central government body, offers technical consultancy on traffic and road management (ANI)

The CIRT, a central government body, offers technical consultancy on traffic and road management.

The Palghar police is investigating the cause of the accident as part of the probe ordered by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. A team from Mercedes-Benz has already retrieved the electronic chip from the mangled car and sent it to Germany for analysis, while Save Life foundation, an NGO that works in the area of road safety, is conducting its own audit of the scene of the accident.

“The Save Life foundation has not communicated anything to us as yet but we have asked CIRT to conduct a technical expert analysis of the spot and tell us whether there is any fault with the construction or design of the particular road stretch that may have played a part in the accident,” said Balasaheb Patil, Superintendent of Police, Palghar.

The accident occurred near Kasa on a part of the highway where three lanes of the six-lane NH 48 narrow into two lanes. The SUV in which Mistry and others were travelling, crashed headlong into a concrete barricade that juts out to narrow the three lanes into two. The structure, police officials said, is visible from 50 meters away, and should have been visible since the accident happened in the afternoon.

“We have also asked CIRT for a larger study on all the dangerous spots through the entire district which may potentially lead to loss of life or injury,” Patil said. “Once we have their report, we will submit it to the concerned road authority, along with an official request seeking immediate repairs or modifications,” said Patil. The NH 48 is maintained by the National Highway Authority of India.