One person died and four others were injured after a group coming back from a visit to Ekvira temple met with an accident on Old Sion Panvel Highway. The accident was reported on the wee hours of Monday. The group of six youths residing in Owale Village, Uran were driving their way back home after a day-long pilgrimage to Ekvira Temple at Lonavala when the accident happened at 6.am on the highway.
The driver identified as Ajay Vishnu Gire ( 21), allegedly lost control of the car and it toppled on the road causing the death of Gire on the spot. Of the remaining passengers in the vehicle, Gajanan Devkar (22) sustained grievous injuries whereas Nilesh Manjulkar (19), Subash Mali (24), Dnyaneshwar Mali (23) and Gopal Mali (19) have suffered minor injuries.
“We have booked the driver for rash and negligent driving and for causing death due to negligence,” a police officer from Panvel police station said. According to the po.lice, the group had gone for the pilgrimage on Sunday. On their way back on Sunday evening, they stopped over at a friend's place at Talegaon.
Then on Monday at around 2 am the group resumed their journey. According to the statement given by the survivors to the police, the vehicle was initially driven by Gopal Mali following a short break at Lonavala, the deceased Gire took to the steering wheel.
At around 6 am at the old Mumbai Pune highway, Gire lost control of the vehicle and the car toppled. It is also suspected that Gire would have felt asleep while driving which could have caused the vehicle to go out of control.
