Italian, 2 others injured in fifth sealink pile-up

A two-day business trip to India proved disastrous for an Italian who met with an accident on the Bandra-Worli sealink around 1 pm on Wednesday.

A two-day business trip to India proved disastrous for an Italian who met with an accident on the Bandra-Worli sealink around 1 pm on Wednesday.

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Alessandro Costa (45) sustained injuries with two others in the fifth accident on the sealink since it opened on July 1.
The police said a white Swift headed towards Bandra collided head on with the Maruti Esteem in which Costa was travelling.

Costa, who landed in Mumbai on Tuesday night, was on his way to Churchgate for a business meeting.

The Esteem driver, Ronnie Lobo (42), suffered multiple fractures.

“The driver of the oncoming vehicle jumped the divider and hit our car,” said Costa, who returned to Italy on Wednesday evening.

Senior Police Inspector of Worli police station, Bharat Worlikar, said the Swift was driven by Prabhadevi resident, Aditya Natrajan (21).

After the crash, Natarajan’s car was hit by another Swift, whose driver also suffered chest injury and was taken to Lilavati Hospital and later discharged.

Jashna Dighe, corporator from Worli whose car was passing by, said the three cars were piled onto one another.

“We stopped our car on seeing the man [Costa] waving out. His business partner, Deepak Thakurane (55) who was injured, told me to call up his wife,” said Dighe. “The driver, who was trapped in the car, had to be extricated and taken to hospital.”

Thakurane’s wife, Urmi, said her husband sustained serious injuries to his nose and lip and was to undergo surgery on Wednesday night.

Natrajan has been arrested for rash and negligent driving. “According to his statement, he lost control of the vehicle after which it collided with the Esteem,” said Worlikar.