A 22-year-old youth died in an accident in Powai in the early hours of Friday, while his 22-year-old friend sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital for treatment. The deceased, Devansh Patel of Jogeshwari, and his friend, Swapnil Vishwakarma, were returning home after visiting Lalbaugcha Raja when their motorcycle was struck by a BEST bus on the Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road near IIT Powai. Devansh was killed in the accident, while Swapnil sustained serious injuries.
Bus Driver Arrested, Later Released
The Powai police arrested the BEST driver, Uttam Kumkar, 57, and released him after issuing a notice. According to BEST officials, the accident occurred when the scooter rider tried to avoid a pothole. The deceased was employed with a private company.
Scooter Loses Balance While Avoiding Pothole
The BEST officials stated that the bus was proceeding to Bandra (West) bus station from the Vikhroli Depot. On Friday, at about 6:55 a.m. near IIT Powai, a scooter slipped as the rider attempted to avoid a pothole and was startled by a car on the right side. As a result, both the rider and pillion passenger fell onto the road.
Victim Declared Dead at Rajawadi Hospital
The rider fell on the left side and suffered serious injuries to both legs, while the pillion rider fell on the right side and was run over by the bus’s left rear tyre. He was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared dead before admission at 8:20 a.m. by the on-duty doctor, Dr. Rohit.
The bus conductor immediately took the injured rider, Swapnil Vishwakarma, to a nearby private hospital in Powai for treatment. The conductor sustained injuries to both legs.
Police Probe and CCTV Review
According to sources, the two youths had visited Lalbaugcha Raja with friends, and the accident occurred while they were returning home. Police are reviewing CCTV footage and have arrested the bus driver. Traffic was disrupted for a while but was later cleared by the police.
