Two men killed after car crashes into tree on Eastern Express Highway at high speed

The deceased were identified as Rohit Nikam, 29, and Siddharth Thage, 22, both residents of Kannamwar Nagar in Vikhroli East. Thage was driving the car when the accident occurred

MUMBAI: Two men died after the car they were in crashed into a tree along the Eastern Express Highway near Vikroli in the early hours of Thursday. Police officials said the extensive damage suffered by the car indicates it must have been travelling at more than 120 kmph at the time of the accident.

Police officials said the extensive damage suffered by the car indicates it must have been travelling at more than 120 kmph at the time of the accident. (Raju Shinde/Hindustan Times)

The deceased were identified as Rohit Nikam, 29, and Siddharth Thage, 22, both residents of Kannamwar Nagar in Vikhroli East. Police officials said that Nikam owned a salon shop, while Thage was pursuing his graduation in commerce from a Vikhroli-based college. Thage was driving the car when the accident occurred.

According to the police, both men were preparing for the forthcoming Dahi Handi celebrations along with their friends in Kannamwar Nagar hours before the accident. Around 11.30 pm on Wednesday, Nikam and Thage got into the car and first went towards Airoli before heading south on the Eastern Express Highway. The accident occurred around 12.30 am near Vikhroli when Thage lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree near Hotel Praveen along the highway, said a police officer.

After crashing into the tree, the car was thrown up in the air and hit another tree. The left side of the vehicle was completely mangled in the accident. Such was the impact that both men were flung outside the car and died on the spot, said a police officer.

The police were informed about the incident by a passerby, after which a patrolling van arrived at the spot. Both men were rushed to Rajawadi Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival, added the officer. After ascertaining their identities, the police informed their families about the accident.

“Both of them were with us till 11.30 pm and we were all practising for the Dahi Handi festival,” said Thage’s friend and neighbour Vicky Gaikwad. “Two other friends were in the car, but they got off [before the accident] due to some work. We do not know what happened, but they had gone for dinner.”

The two deceased’s blood samples have been sent for a test to determine whether they had consumed alcohol, said senior inspector Sudhir Hirdekar of the Vikhroli police station. “We will record the statements of their friends who were with them before the accident, and things will be clear after that. For now, an accidental death report has been registered,” Hirdekar added.