Zahoor Hasan, the 78-year-old owner of Hasan Garage in Mohan Nagar, was killed after his car was hit by a speeding tipper-truck opposite Pallotti School on Gorewada Road under the jurisdiction of Gittikhadan Police Station on Sunday. Hasan was a well-known and respected businessman of the city. Hasan was widely regarded as a hardworking and trustworthy figure. Hasan was on his way to see his sister when the gruesome mishap cut short his life. The accident, which occurred around 11.30 am, also left two others seriously injured when the tipper-truck veered off the road and crashed into a nearby paan kiosk. Unidentified persons set the tipper-truck afire in the evening. According to Gittikhadan Police, the tipper-truck was being driven in high speed.

 

The driver lost control when its brakes reportedly ‘failed’. The speeding tipper-truck collided with Hasan’s Toyota Altis car (MH-31/EA-9199), from behind. The impact was so severe that the tipper-truck dragged the car for a considerable distance. The car was badly damaged. Zahoor Hasan, who was behind the wheel, got trapped in the car and sustained fatal injuries. The officials claimed that the force of the crash caused the tipper-truck to continue its destructive path and it not only destroyed Hasan’s car but also completely crushed it under its wheels. It also caused severe damage to another stationary tipper by the roadside and crashed into a paan kiosk before coming to a halt. In the process, two persons, Rajkumar Dubey and Sachin Yadav, susitained injuries. Passers-by rushed the injured duo to a hospital. When the police arrived at the scene, they found Hasan’s car completely mangled and Hasan trapped inside, indicating severity of the crash. It took serious efforts from police and locals, including an Airforce Officer, in extricating Hasan’s body from the mangled remains of the car.

 

Police then sent the body to Mayo Hospital for post-mortem. Later, a crane was pressed into service to lift the car. Hassan’s sudden demise has left the city in shock. Many expressed their grief over the loss of a valued citizen. The driver of the tipper-truck, identified as Avinash Ramchandra Bhoyar (29), was arrested by the police. Bhoyar, a resident of Kanhan, allegedly lost control of the tipper-truck as its brake failed causing the deadly mishap. The tipper-truck (MH-40/BG-8191), was travelling at a high speed before it hit Hasan’s car, said police. Further investigation revealed that the tipper-truck was owned by Indrajeet Wahile. The police have filed a case against both the driver, Avinash Bhoyar, and the truck’s owner, Indrajeet Wahile, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Motor Vehicles Act. The police are also looking into whether other factors including mechanical failure or negligence in maintaining the the tipper-truck contributed to the crash. Unidentified persons set the truck afire in the evening. A team of Fire and Emmergency Services from NMC was pressed into the service to douse the flames. 

 

 

The incident has raised concerns about road safety on the Gorewada Ring Road due to plying of high number of commercial vehicles, including tipper-trucks. As construction of the Outer Ring Road has not been completed, heavy vehicles are operating on the Ring Road and causing accidents regularly, a resident.