An accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday afternoon claimed the life of a 55-year-old woman and left over 18 people injured after a container truck with failed brakes rammed into 25 vehicles while descending the Borghat section. The incident caused severe traffic disruption and damage to several vehicles including private cars, buses, and commercial vehicles.
The deceased has been identified as Anita Sahadev Ekhande, a 55-year-old resident of Moje Padoli in Dharashiv district. She was traveling with her family in a Scorpio SUV (MH 24 V 7283) when the container, heading from Pune towards Mumbai, lost control due to brake failure and collided with their vehicle and several others. According to officials, her vehicle was one of the first to be hit in the 3.5-kilometre-long trail of destruction.
See the car wreckage caused by the accident
“Preliminary investigation confirms that the truck's brakes failed while navigating the steep Borghat stretch. The truck rammed into 25 vehicles, including a Mercedes, Innova, a 17-seater Traveller, and multiple cars and trucks,” said a police officer from Khopoli police station. The officer added that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol and appeared to have attempted to control the vehicle to minimise damage.
The Scorpio had nine passengers—all from Solapur. Several of them sustained injuries. One of the most severely damaged vehicles was a 17-seater Traveller with maximum injuries reported from its occupants.
More than seven vehicles were completely mangled in the crash, and over 18 people were rushed to MGM Hospital in Panvel and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital in Khopoli for treatment. The rescue and response efforts were led by Khopoli Police, the Borghat Traffic Division, the Help Foundation, and IRB personnel.
The container truck came to a halt only after crashing into the side barrier near the food mall on the expressway. The driver attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by the police.
Traffic movement remained halted for nearly an hour before authorities managed to clear the damaged vehicles and resume normal flow. An FIR has been registered against the driver Rajeshkumar Patel (29), a resident of Prataphad and further investigations are on.
