MUMBAI: A 33-year-old man died and another is fighting for life after they fell 22 feet from a scaffolding that was hit by a BMW car at Mulund (east) around 4am Saturday. The two men were among volunteers preparing for Ganeshotsav of Mulundcha RajaMandal in Gavanpada. The driver who had sped away has been arrested.
Pritam Thorat (in pic), an auto driver, and Prasad Patil (38), who makes banners, were perched on the scaffolding to put up a banner.The BMW ploughed into the scaffolding that was jutting onto the road, knocking down the two.
The driver claimed he didn’t notice the scaffolding due to heavy rain and he sped away, fearing public outrage.
Thorat fell smack on his face…,” mandal president Chandrakant More said, adding that the BMW sped away.
There were 15 others there, a few of whom noted down the car registration number. The two men were taken to Veer Savarkar Hospital, Mulund, where Thorat was declared dead on arrival. Prasad Patil has been admitted to Jupiter Hospital in Thane. He is in a critical condition, and has been put on ventilator.
The BMW driver, Shakti Alag (32), was later nabbed from his friend’s home at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, hours after the crash, said an officer from Navghar police station. The BMW driver has claimed he did not notice the scaffolding due to heavy rain. “He says he sped away, fearing public outrage,” said the officer who claimed the driver did not seem drunk, but said that his blood sample will be sent for analysis.
Senior inspector Madan Patil said the BMW driver, also a Mulund resident, had bought the second-hand car a year ago. The driver is in police custody till Sept 10, said DCPPurushottam Karad.
Pritam Thorat (in pic), an auto driver, and Prasad Patil (38), who makes banners, were perched on the scaffolding to put up a banner.The BMW ploughed into the scaffolding that was jutting onto the road, knocking down the two.
The driver claimed he didn’t notice the scaffolding due to heavy rain and he sped away, fearing public outrage.
Thorat fell smack on his face…,” mandal president Chandrakant More said, adding that the BMW sped away.
There were 15 others there, a few of whom noted down the car registration number. The two men were taken to Veer Savarkar Hospital, Mulund, where Thorat was declared dead on arrival. Prasad Patil has been admitted to Jupiter Hospital in Thane. He is in a critical condition, and has been put on ventilator.
The BMW driver, Shakti Alag (32), was later nabbed from his friend’s home at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, hours after the crash, said an officer from Navghar police station. The BMW driver has claimed he did not notice the scaffolding due to heavy rain. “He says he sped away, fearing public outrage,” said the officer who claimed the driver did not seem drunk, but said that his blood sample will be sent for analysis.
Senior inspector Madan Patil said the BMW driver, also a Mulund resident, had bought the second-hand car a year ago. The driver is in police custody till Sept 10, said DCPPurushottam Karad.