Mumbai, February 17: A 19-year-old B-Tech student lost her life and her 21-year-old brother was injured when their Activa was hit by a speeding dumper at the Dahisar checkpoint on Western Express Highway on Thursday morning. The 19-year-old victim, Prachi Sharma, was rammed by the dumper, whose wheel hit her brother Kshitij’s back when they fell off. The dumper driver was later arrested for causing death by negligence.
Residents of Mira Road, the siblings were commuting to their college, Saint Francis Institute of Technology in Borivali East, at 8.30am and Prachi was riding pillion. Near the Dahisar checkpoint, the dumper truck, which was on the scooter’s left side, abruptly moved to the right behind the two-wheeler without signalling. Anticipating contact, Kshitij applied the brakes, causing the scooter to skid. The heavy vehicle’s rear wheel hit Prachi’s head and the driver fled the scene.
Prachi was rushed to Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali by Kshitij with the help of another car. The doctors advised shifting her to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, where she was pronounced dead at 10 am.
The police said that local citizens apprehended the dumper driver later and handed him to the Dahisar police. He has been identified as Sarju Rajbhar, 45, from Katkipada, Dahisar East. A case under sections 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code has been filed.
