Nashik: A two-wheeler rider was killed on the spot in a horrific accident caused by potholes amidst one-way traffic on Ambad Link Road, near the Indian Oil Corporation petrol pump, around 10:30 PM on Tuesday night. The accident involved a collision between a tempo and a two-wheeler. The deceased has been identified as Prabhakar Sahebrao Nikam (aged 42), the owner of 'Pragati Garments', a clothing store located in Savkarnagar. He is survived by his parents, wife, son, daughter, and two brothers. The Nikam family originally hails from Mahalpur in the Shindkheda taluka of Dhule district.
According to police reports, a tempo (MH 15 JC 8877) travelling from Link Road towards Savkarnagar collided violently with a speeding two-wheeler (MH 15 FR 4620) at a dangerous turn near the 'Virat Sankul' complex; the collision was precipitated by the presence of potholes on the road. Upon impact, Prabhakar Nikam was thrown onto a pile of asphalt lying on the road. He sustained a severe head injury and succumbed to his injuries on the spot due to massive blood loss.
Citizens gathered at the accident site expressed their outrage, pointing out that the streetlights in the area were non-functional, and the contractor had failed to install any warning signs or reflectors. Residents stated that a series of such accidents has been occurring due to the one-way traffic arrangement currently in force on Ambad Link Road, implemented for works related to the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela, combined with the deplorable condition of the road itself.
The family of the deceased, Prabhakar Nikam, along with local public representatives and workers, have demanded that a case of murder (culpable homicide) be registered against the Municipal Corporation and the contractor and that financial compensation be provided to the family. The Ambad Link Road is a vital artery connecting the Satpur and Ambad industrial estates, with thousands of workers and vehicles commuting along it daily. Despite this, the condition of the road has failed to improve.
Following the accident, on Wednesday morning, the contractor cleared the piles of asphalt at the Virat Sankul junction, thereby restoring the road to two-way traffic. Traffic police personnel and wardens have been deployed at the accident site. Motorists reported that the soil scattered across the road was cleared away overnight.
