Mumbai:
A spate of accidents on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway left two television actors dead and six injured - including the deputy district collector of Sindhudurg and two Korean nationals - in three separate accidents between Monday night and yesterday morning.
In the first accident at around 1.30 am on the Devale Bridge, a Maruti car in which five television actors were travelling from the city to Mumbai, rammed into the rear of truck ahead of it. The impact was so severe that the car got lodged behind the truck and was dragged along for 50 feet.
Borivali resident Abhijit Satish Vaydande (30) and Vikhroli resident Deepti Pramod Tawade (23) died on the spot, while Dombivali residents Rahul Pedanekar (30), Suyog Bhalerao (28) and Vaishnavi Pote (22) sustained minor injuries. All five people had visited the city for a TV serial shoot.
Extensive damage
The car was damaged extensively and the police had to cut off a part of the roof to extricate the dead and injured. In the second accident, Sindhudurg Deputy District Collector Sushant Khandekar was travelling in an Innova, when his driver lost control and rammed into a divider at the Urse Toll plaza at around 5.30 am.
Shattered legs
"Both Khandekar's thigh bones are shattered. The impact of the collision combined with his body weight may have caused such a severe injury. It will require critical surgery," said Dr Jaywant Shrikhande, in-charge of emergency medical services administration, Lokmanya Hospital, Nigadi.
He added that the other occupants of the vehicle sustained minor injuries and will be discharged shortly. "We reached the spot immediately and shifted the victims to the hospital.All the accidents were results of speeding. The drivers of the three vehicles involved in the accidents are also admitted in the hospital. We will take action after they are discharged," said Police Inspector Sanjay Nikam of the Talegaon police station.
Koreans injured
In a third accident shortly after the second on the E-way, Korean citizens Won Jison and Shin Bung sustained minor injuries when . They were coming to the city to attend a meeting when the mishap occurred.