2 dead after SUV hits civic vehicle at Lalbaug flyover in Mumbai

One of the passengers succumbed in the hospital after suffering head injuries, while the other was charred to death

Two people were killed as their SUV caught fire after crashing into a civic vehicle, used to sweep roads, at Lalbaug flyover early on Sunday.

An SUV crashed into a civic vehicle, and then a divider at Lalbaug flyover on Sunday early morning. (Bhushan Koyande/HT)

The Kalachowki police have booked the driver for negligence.

The deceased were identified as Sagar Gurnath Gaikwad, 21, a resident of Kalyan, who was driving the car, and Sachin Subash Gadhari, 23, a resident of Jalgaon, who was sitting on the rear seat. They were travelling towards south Mumbai in their Tata Hexa.

Pankaj Kumar Yadav, 32, who was driving the BMC vehicle, said they were cleaning the road on Lalbaug flyover. At 4:15am, the SUV came from behind and hit their vehicle, he told the police.

“Yadav told us that the SUV was speeding. Therefore, after hitting the sweeping vehicle, the SUV driver lost control over it and crashed into the divider,” said an officer from Kalachowki police station.

Seemingly, a spark from a cable wire passing from the divider resulted in the fire, said the officer.

The Kalachowki police have registered a case against Gaikwad under sections 304 (A) (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of ₹50) of the Indian Penal Code.

“When we visited the spot, a few workers were repairing the cable that was damaged in the accident,” added the officer.