Pune:
In yet another fatal accident on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway, five people were killed and another five were seriously injured when a senior police officer lost control over a Sports Utility Vehicle or SUV that he was driving.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Dinkar Mahajan, who is posted in Amravati, was driving to Pune in his Tata Safari along with his wife and some relatives when he suddenly hit three pedestrians - all college students - and then rammed his car into a stationary container truck that was being repaired by its driver and cleaner.
The accident happened around 5 pm at Kondhapuri near Shikrapur on Monday. One of the pedestrians and the container truck's driver and cleaner died on the spot. The police officer's wife and one of his relatives were also killed due to the impact of the collision.
Mr Mahajan, two others travelling with him and two college students who were hit by the car have been admitted to hospital with serious injuries. Their condition is said to be critical.
"The DSP's wife and relative who have been killed in the accident were sitting on the left side of the SUV that was completely damaged due the impact of the collision," a police officer investigating the case said.
Locals who witnessed the accident rescued the victims and informed the police, who reached the spot with ambulances.
The Pune-Ahmednagar highway witnesses many accidents because of illegal opening of divider at many places and also because of the narrow road at the Pune end of the highway where the expansion work is pending since many years.