In two different road accident cases, a Thane-based man and a Mazgaon-based woman were injured after being hit by motorbikes. The FPJ spoke to some of the victims of road mishaps who feel that motorbike drivers are reckless on roads, and many fail to take accountability, such as helping victims get admitted to the hospital or reporting it to emergency services; instead, they attempt to run away after causing the accidents.
Friday's accident at MHADA Colony area
In the latest incident, on Friday, a 38-year-old man, a resident of Thane who was traveling to Mulund via the MHADA Colony area, was rammed by a motorcycle. Shaikh Sayyed was himself on a bike when the incident took place. The accused biker, who was speeding, crashed into Sayyed, after which he fell off his bike, injuring his leg. Local cops took him to Veer Savarkar Hospital, after which he was referred to a private hospital in Thane. After an X-ray, it was known that Sayyed had fractured his leg. The driver, named Shehnaj Khan, has been arrested by the police.
The accident in Mazgaon
In the second incident, which occurred on November 25, a man named Rajesh Pore, along with his wife Anju, 40, were traveling from Mazgaon to Reay Road for shopping purposes. They were on a two-wheeler when another two-wheeler, driving on the wrong side of the road, crashed into their vehicle. While Rajesh didn’t sustain any major injuries, Anju, who fell off the vehicle, injured her leg. The unknown driver had fled the spot by the time Rajesh tried to ask for help for his wife.
Given the time of the accident, which was late at night at Albert Junction near Kalachowki-Lalbaugh area, Rajesh didn’t have anyone to help except a taxi driver who helped him take his wife to KEM Hospital. After taking Anju’s X-ray, doctors suggested an emergency operation on her left leg, above her knee. After being critical for some days, Rajesh later on Friday approached the police and registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the unknown motorist.
Previous hit-and-run cases
In the past, several such accidents were reported to the police regarding hit-and-run cases by pedestrians and two-wheelers against other two-wheeler drivers. One of the victims named Sharad Kumar, who fractured his leg in one such accident at the Eastern Express Highway, said, “Bikers are very reckless when driving. They are always in a hurry, and hence they cut and jump traffic, not bothering about the fellow motorists. I am still suffering after almost 7 months of the accident.”
Manasi Gulwe, another such victim, a resident of Navi Mumbai who was in an accident at the Airoli-Mulund bridge said, “I was not even driving; I was simply trying to cross the road and that too during the red signal, and yet a bullet bike knocked me off in the middle of the road. He didn’t even bother to help me out or check on me; he simply ran off even after seeing me lying on the ground. It’s terrible how much they lack accountability and responsibility for safe driving.”
Meanwhile, the police say that they are always in "sensitive" zones or areas that are prone to accidents for immediate action while having the backup of emergency vehicles.
