Mumbai doctor dies as truck knocks him down on eastern express highway

The incident took place near the check post on the south-bound stretch of the highway, which has witnessed several accidents in the past.

Pillion rider Hanumant Hegde, the assistant of Dr Prakash Vaze, 67, who died as a truck rammed into their two-wheeler on the eastern express highway (EEH) in Mulund on Friday, blamed the bad condition of the road for their fall.

The incident took place near the check post on the south-bound stretch of the highway, which has witnessed several accidents in the past. The truck driver hit the bike from the rear-end after which the duo fell off the motorcycle. Vaze was crushed under the wheels of the truck. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Hegde suffered injuries to his hands and is recuperating at a hospital in Mulund.

“When we spoke to Hedge, he said they fell as the road was bad,” said Abhijeet Chavan, 34, a resident of Mulund, who helped the duo reach hospital. “The road is slippery. There is a lot of

Dr Deepak Tandel, a colleague and a friend of Dr Vaze, said he was on his way to buy trophies for a chess tournament scheduled to start on Saturday when the incident took place. “We were told he suffered severe head injuries,” said Dr Tandel.

He said Dr Vaze, the managing trustee of Vaze Sports Foundation, was a chess enthusiast and organised many tournaments throughout the year. “He was also a cricket umpire and has been organizing camps to coach umpires through the foundation for the past two decades,” Dr Tandel said.

Dr Vaze was credited for teaching cricket umpiring for free. “Since it is free and only on Sunday with no age bar, please take maximum advantage of these classes. It holds good for ladies and upcoming cricket umpires and scorers,” read an earlier post from Dr Vaze, while announcing a camp.

A case has been registered against the accused Neelkanth Chavan, 35, under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 304 A (causing death by negligence), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.