18-year-old dies in highway accident

An 18-year-old college student, Lata Patil, was killed and her fiancé injured when the motorcycle on which they were travelling was hit by a tanker on the Western Express Highway on Saturday.

An 18-year-old college student, Lata Patil, was killed and her fiancé injured when the motorcycle on which they were travelling was hit by a tanker on the Western Express Highway on Saturday.

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Patil’s fiancé, Naresh Londhe (23), a rickshaw driver, suffered injuries on his arm, while Patil was hit on the back of her head and her legs.

“The couple — Londhe and Patil from Kurar — were on their way on the former’s motorcycle on the Western Express Highway in Vile Parle when the driver of the tanker, identified as Abdul Sattar Shaikh (48), hit the motorcycle from behind, said an officer of Vile Parle police station, requesting anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The tanker was on its way to the city from Dahisar.

“The driver fled without helping the injured or informing the authorities,” the officer added.

The couple was rushed to the VN Desai Hospital at Santacruz where Patil was declared dead on arrival and Londhe was discharged after treatment.

Shaikh has been remanded in police custody till Wednesday.

The police said Shaikh’s blood sample has been sent for tests to check if he was driving under the influence of alcohol.