Bhiwandi: 8 Injured, 4 Critical After Jeep Rams Parked Container Truck On Mumbai-Nashik Highway While Returning From Mumbai Airport

Bhiwandi: Eight members of a family were injured, four of them seriously, after the Jeep they were travelling in rammed into a parked container truck on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway near Sonale village in Bhiwandi during the early hours of Thursday. The accident occurred amid light rain and poor visibility as the family was returning to Chalisgaon in Jalgaon district after dropping their relatives at Mumbai Airport for an Umrah pilgrimage.

According to police, around 10 family members were travelling in the Jeep when the accident took place near the Bhiwandi Bypass. Preliminary findings suggest that the driver failed to notice the container truck parked on the roadside in time due to reduced visibility caused by rain. The speeding Jeep crashed into the rear of the heavy vehicle with tremendous force, leaving its front portion completely mangled.

The family, residents of Saigaon in Chalisgaon taluka of Jalgaon district, had travelled to Mumbai on Wednesday night along with nearly 20 to 22 relatives in multiple vehicles, including cars, a mini-bus and the Jeep, to see off family members departing for Umrah. After bidding them farewell at Mumbai Airport, the convoy began its return journey around 2 am. The accident occurred a few hours later while the Jeep was passing through the Sonale stretch of the highway.

The impact of the collision triggered panic among the occupants, with several passengers trapped inside the damaged vehicle. Local residents and passing motorists rushed to the spot after hearing the loud crash. With the assistance of police personnel, they rescued the injured passengers and shifted them to the Indira Gandhi Sub-District Hospital in Bhiwandi.

Doctors said four of the injured — two women and two men — sustained serious fractures to their hands and shoulders. After receiving primary treatment, they were referred to a higher medical facility for specialised care. The remaining four injured passengers were treated for minor injuries and later discharged.

The injured have been identified as Rehana Bee (55), Nagma Bee, Ayoob, Firoz Khan, Shakila Bee, Aqeela Bano and Saba Shaikh, while police are verifying the identity of another injured passenger and compiling the complete list of victims.

Soon after the accident, police reached the scene, cleared the damaged vehicles and restored traffic movement on the busy highway. An investigation has been launched to ascertain the exact cause of the crash. Officials are also examining whether the container truck had been parked legally and whether it had the mandatory reflective markers, hazard lights or warning triangles in place to alert approaching motorists.

The accident has once again highlighted safety concerns on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway, where heavy vehicles are often found parked along the carriageway. Road safety experts have repeatedly warned that stationary trucks without adequate warning signs become highly dangerous during the monsoon, when rain and poor visibility significantly reduce drivers' reaction time.

Local residents have urged the Highway Police and other concerned authorities to take stringent action against illegally parked heavy vehicles and strengthen enforcement measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

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