Two killed after BEST bus skids and crashes into autorickshaw

The impact of the crash was so strong that the duo were flung out of the vehicle and sustained severe head injuries. The incident took place at Goregaon check naka bridge near the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at around 1.45am

Mumbai: Two persons were killed after a BEST bus skidded, collided with another bus and crashed into an autorickshaw in the early hours of Sunday in Goregaon East. The deceased were identified as Johnny Sankhram, 42, and Sujata Panthaky, 38, who were colleagues and returning from office.

The impact of the crash was so strong that the duo were flung out of the vehicle and sustained severe head injuries. The incident took place at Goregaon check naka bridge near the Western Express Highway (EEH) at around 1.45am (StockPic)

The impact of the crash was so strong that the duo were flung out of the vehicle and sustained severe head injuries. The incident took place at Goregaon check naka bridge near the Western Express Highway (WEH) at around 1.45am.

According to the Aarey sub-police station, bus number 1453 (MH 01AP 0226) was behind bus number 1862 (MH 01 AP 0746), both were en route to Ghatkopar Depot from Poisar Depot for a depot transfer. It was raining heavily and in order to control the bus on the slippery road, the driver of the bus 1862 Santosh Shankar Ghonge, 45, applied brakes, prompting the driver of bus number 1453, identified as Santosh Vishnu Deolkar, to do the same. However, the second bus skidded and collided with the bus in front and crashed into the autorickshaw (MH 02 EQ 9371) from the back.

After the impact, the two passengers seated inside hit their heads on the bars of the auto and flung out of the vehicle. The driver of the rickshaw too suffered injuries. The driver of the BEST buses alerted the police officers who rushed Sankhram to the trauma centre in Jogeshwari where he was declared dead upon arrival and Panthaky was taken to the Kokilaben hospital in Andheri where she succumbed to her injuries at 2.45am.

The Vanrai police have booked the driver of bus number 1453 for causing death due to negligence under section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code.

The officials said that since the road was slippery, the driver lost control of the bus. “The driver Deolkar was arrested on Sunday and will be produced before the court on Monday,” said a police officer from Vanrai police station.