Powai Hit-And-Run: Speeding Creta Hits 3 Pedestrians On JVLR, Kharghar Resident Driver Held After Surrender; Raising Concerns Over Rising Accident Cases

Mumbai: A hit-and-run incident in Powai on Sunday has once again drawn attention to the rising number of road accidents in Mumbai and the challenges faced by investigators in tracing accused drivers and determining whether they were under the influence of alcohol.

The incident occurred between 7 am and 7.15am on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) near Mahatma Phule Nagar within the jurisdiction of Powai Police Station. According to police, a speeding Creta car travelling towards the Eastern Express Highway first hit a motorcycle and then rammed into four pedestrians before fleeing the spot.

The accused driver, identified as Vikas Sindhu, a 19- year-old student from Kharghar, was later apprehended after he approached traffic police personnel near Vikhroli Parksite and surrendered.

Datta Nalawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 10), said there were two other occupants in the car at the time of the incident. “A woman suddenly came in front of the vehicle, following which the driver swerved to the right. At the same time, three people were crossing the road and were hit. Fearing public anger, the driver fled the scene before later surrendering to the police,” he said.

The injured have been identified as Manisha Sawant, 45, a resident of Mahatma Phule Nagar who has been admitted to Sion Hospital, Natha Sopan Pargaonkar, 40, Ammachar Pande, 40, and Dhanush Pande, 13. The police said no fatalities have been reported so far. Videos of the injured persons circulated widely on social media, indicating the severity of the injuries.

The incident comes days after another hit-and-run case in Powai, where three labourers engaged in sewercleaning work in Morarji Nagar were injured after being struck by a speeding tempo whose driver fled the scene. The police registered a case against an unidentified driver and launched a search operation. The labourers had been deployed by a contractor appointed by the BMC, and the police are also examining whether adequate safety measures were in place at the site.

Police officials said hit-andrun cases often pose major investigation challenges, especially when accused drivers escape immediately after accidents. Investigators largely depend on CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts to identify vehicles and suspects.

Officials added that delays in tracing accused drivers make it difficult to determine whether they had consumed alcohol before the incident. “If the accused is caught hours or days later, confirming intoxication at the time of the accident becomes extremely difficult,” a police officer said.

Dr Aniket Mule, consultant in internal medicine at KIMS Hospitals, said alcohol detection is highly time-sensitive. “Testing should ideally be conducted within two to three hours of the incident. Beyond six to eight hours, accurately estimating blood alcohol levels becomes difficult,” he said.

Advocate Himanshu Maratkar said, “Mumbai’s roads are becoming a graveyard because of careless, wealthy parents allowing minors to drive. In case after case, a minor is behind the wheel of a vehicle registered in a parent’s name”.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/