8 Deaths In 5 Days: Negligence Turns Pimpri-Chinchwad Roads Deadly Amid Safety Lapses

Pimpri-Chinchwad: A worrying pattern has emerged in Pimpri-Chinchwad, where nine people have died in separate road accidents over the past few days. Most of the victims include children, senior citizens and two-wheeler riders. Speeding trucks and negligence are common factors in many of the cases.

The latest incident was reported on Monday (16th March) at Somatane Phata, where 11-year-old Dnyaneshwari Murhe died after a parked tempo rolled backwards on a slope. The driver had failed to apply the handbrake. The girl was playing nearby when she was crushed under the vehicle.

On Saturday (14th March), a 15-year-old boy, Swapnil Chavan, was killed in Punawale after a tipper truck hit his motorcycle from behind. The truck had entered the city during restricted hours. Police said the vehicle was speeding and being driven negligently.

Later the same night, Ravindra Sangle (50) died in Chikhali after a speeding truck rammed into his two-wheeler. Police have arrested the driver in the case.

These three fatal accidents came after six accidents were reported two days previously to that. Pimpri-Chinchwad Police have registered cases against all drivers responsible.

Six Fatal Accidents Within 48 Hours

A day earlier, on Friday (13th March), 76-year-old Savar Krishnan was killed near the Tata Motors gate in Shahu Nagar after a truck hit his two-wheeler from behind. The driver fled the spot.

Also on Friday, two people died in separate incidents. In Moshi, 29-year-old Bhagwan Sakhare was killed when a truck hit his two-wheeler while he was taking a turn.

On Thursday, three more deaths were reported within 24 hours. A 14-year-old boy died in Chinchwad after a transit mixer truck hit his bicycle from behind. Police said the driver was allegedly using a mobile phone.

In Dighi, a 72-year-old pedestrian was killed by a heavy truck. In Bhosari, a 20-year-old man died after a tractor overturned when he lost control.

Police are investigating all the cases.

Negligence: Common Factor

The recent accidents show a clear trend. Heavy vehicles are repeatedly involved. Many crashes are due to speeding, poor control or basic negligence, like using phones or not applying brakes. Children and elderly citizens are among the worst affected.

With nine deaths in just a few days, concerns are rising over road safety and enforcement in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area.

Negligence appears to be a common factor. In some cases, drivers were speeding. In one case, a driver allegedly used a mobile phone. In another, a vehicle rolled due to failure to apply a handbrake. There are also violations of traffic rules, including heavy vehicles entering restricted hours.

The accidents are spread across key areas like Punawale, Chikhali, Moshi, Chinchwad, Dighi and Bhosari, indicating that the issue is not limited to one stretch but is city-wide.

With Pimpri-Chinchwad’s fast growth and rising traffic, the recent spate of deaths points to gaps in enforcement, monitoring of heavy vehicles and basic road safety practices.

Police have registered cases in all incidents, and investigations are ongoing. However, the total of nine deaths within days has triggered concern among residents. Residents have demanded stricter checks on heavy vehicles, better traffic enforcement and accountability for negligent driving.

Police Efforts

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate’s (PCPC) Traffic Branch has identified heavy vehicles as causing most accidents. In efforts to prevent that, heavy vehicles are banned within commissionerate jurisdictions from 8 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 10 pm.

If any fatal accident happens within these times, the police are constantly taking strict actions by registering cases under the BNS section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) instead of the usual BNS section 106 (death by negligence) -- which is usually charged in fatal accident cases. BNS 105 is considered a more serious offence compared to BNS 106.

Along with that, regular checkpoints are set up by the traffic police to prevent heavy vehicle movements across the city. Along with that, traffic personnel are constantly placed at peak times in known accident-prone areas.

The Free Press Journal reporter made efforts to contact Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vivek Patil for comment, but he was unavailable for a response.