Mumbai flyover car crash: How a tree, traffic signal and airbags saved two lives

The Chevrolet car fell on the northbound stretch of the road below the flyover when the traffic signal was red.

A tree, a traffic signal and airbags saved lives in the freak accident on Bandra flyover on Thursday. The accident, in which two people died, took place right above the Bandra traffic division’s office. Officials at the spot said many more could have been killed or injured.

Police officials at the spot. (Bhushan Koyande)

The Chevrolet car fell on the northbound stretch of the road below the flyover when the traffic signal was red.

“It was a lucky coincidence that the accident took place when the red signal was on and there were no other cars on the road. There could have been more fatalities and injuries if the car had fallen on passing vehicles,” said Machindra Bodke, senior inspector, Bandra traffic police, who rushed out of his cabin at the sound of the crash.

Read: Car crashes into 2 on Mumbai flyover killing them, falls 20ft, driver survives

The two occupants of the car were saved by a tree adjacent to the bridge. After careening off the flyover the vehicle landed on its branches, which absorbed the impact of the crash.

“The couple in the car was saved by the tree and the vehicle’s airbags. A man who was standing on the road suffered injuries as a part of the car hit him, but he too cheated death,” said another traffic police official.