Bus runs over pillion rider after bike skids on WEH

A 19-year-old man died after a motorbike accident on the Western Express Highway in Mumbai. The motorbike skidded and the man was crushed by a luxury bus. The bus driver has been arrested and charged with causing death due to negligence. The victim's father claims that the police initially planned to book the motorbike rider but changed their decision after a protest. The motorbike rider reportedly stated that they took a wrong turn and lost their way.

A 19-year-old man, who was riding pillion on a motorbike, was killed after the vehicle skidded and he came under the rear wheels of a luxury bus on the Western Express Highway on Wednesday.

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The accident occurred at 4.30pm on the north-bound carriageway near Thakur Complex in Kandivali East.

According to the Samta Nagar police, Vikas Dinesh Kori, 18, was on his way home along with Utkarsh Virendra Sharma after filling petrol at a fuel filling station in Borivali. Both were residents of Samta Nagar.

Senior police inspector Pravin Rane said the motorcycle rider was on the wrong side of the road and as he took a turn from the highway to take the side road to enter Kurar, he brushed past the bus. As a result, the motorcycle skidded, and Sharma, who was on the pillion, was thrown towards the bus and was crushed by it.

Passers-by called the police control room and Sharma was taken to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali West where he was declared dead on arrival.

Rane said they first registered an accidental death report. However, after scanning the CCTV footage, the police arrested the driver of the bus, identified as Yeddappa Kallappa, 45, a resident of Telangana. The bus, Bharat Benz, belonged to a tourist agency, Citizen Travels, police officers said.

“We have booked the driver under section 304 (A) (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code. He did not slow down or stop seeing the motorcycle coming from the opposite direction,” Rane added.

However, Sharma’s father claimed that the police were going to book the bike rider but after their protest at Samta Nagar police station, an FIR was registered against the bus driver. The victim, who was studying D Pharma in Bengaluru, had come to Mumbai four days ago.

The bike rider allegedly told the police that they lost their way and took a wrong turn.