Truck driver killed as BEST bus crashes into truck in Aarey Colony

The police said that the BEST bus was speeding when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it skidded and rammed headlong into an oncoming truck

MUMBAI: A 30-year-old truck driver died after a BEST wet lease bus collided with the truck in Aarey Milk Colony in the early hours of Thursday. The police said that the bus was speeding when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it skidded and rammed headlong into an oncoming truck. The incident comes just four days after a BEST bus was involved in a fatal accident outside the Bhandup railway station.

Truck driver killed as BEST bus crashes into truck in Aarey Colony

According to the Aarey Sub police the incident took place at Aarey Colony gate No. 5 around 6.20 am on Thursday when the driver of the private truck was travelling towards Powai. The police said that the BEST bus, heading from Vikhroli Depot to Borivali Station (East), collided with the truck, ramming into the section near the driver’s seat.

The bus driver Mohammad Rafiq Shaikh, 48, the bus conductor Ravindra Pandurang Shembadkar, 56, and the truck driver, Cheharaj Thakur, suffered serious injuries in the crash. The three of them were rushed to the Jogeshwari Trauma Centre where Thakur died during treatment.

Meanwhile, Shaikh suffered a head injury after the windshield broke and hit him. He also suffered injuries to his right leg and knee. The bus conductor too sustained minor injuries to his left hand and left leg.

After recording the statements of the truck helper, Suresh Keshavlal, the police have booked the BEST bus driver under sections 281 (rash, negligent driver), 106 (1) (causing death by negligence), 125 (a) and 125 (b) (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and other relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

“We have booked the bus driver after recording the statements of the eyewitnesses,” said Ravindra Patil, senior police inspector of Aarey Sub police station.