Mumbai: Three people, including a six-month-old baby were killed on the spot and the driver of their car, the baby's mother, seriously injured after their luxury car crashed into a divider on Friday afternoon in Worli.
According to police, three women and the baby were going to lunch at the NSCI, Worli when the tragedy unfolded. The deceased have been identified as Bhavna Bathija, 61, Juhi Gurnani, 52, and the baby. The mother of the baby, Namita Sonal Chand, 39, is seriously injured.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon on Khan Abdul Khan Ghaffar Khan Road in Worli, as the car was coming from the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, police said. Around 4pm, near Mela Junction, the speeding car jumped over a speedbreaker, causing the driver to lose control and crashed into the divider. Bhavna was flung out of the windshield by the impact. All four were rushed to the Jaslok Hospital by locals.
Bhavna, Juhi and the baby were declared dead on arrival while Namita is in the ICU and her condition is serious. Usman Shaikh, who has a chicken shop in the area said, "As soon as we saw what had happened, we rushed to help. Fortunately, there was an ambulance right behind the car.We stopped it and the injured were transported to Jaslok hospital," he said.
Police said, Bhavna, a resident of Pune, had come to be with her daughter Namita in Andheri, to assist with her pregnancy. On Friday, Namita, Bhavna and the infant set off to the NSCI, first stopping to pick up their relative Juhi, a resident of Venus Apartment in Worli. Namita was driving while her mother was in the co-passenger seat with the baby while Juhi sat in the back.
Namita's husband Sonal, a pilot, is in Turkey currently and as soon as he received the news, he left for India. A family friend said he was repeatedly asking after his daughter. "We have registered an accidental death report (ADR) and our investigation is underway," said Sukhlala Varpe, senior inspector, Worli police station. "Juhi had several responsibilities. Her husband, an investor, has a heart condition and she was his caregiver," said Naheed Sheerazi, her husband's friend from schooldays.
