3 workers killed, 3 injured in hit-and-run on Samruddhi

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Three workers were killed and three others suffered serious injuries in a hit-and-run around 1pm on Friday after a speeding container truck ploughed into them as they were having lunch and resting after repair work on the Samruddhi Expressway near the Wadkha-Nathnagar stretch.The workers, employed by Megha Engineering Company, had paused for lunch after completing repairs on a metal guard rail along the expressway's overtaking lane. "The six workers were seated in the shade of two parked vehicles, a service truck and a JCB machine, when the container truck, travelling from Jalna toward Mumbai, suddenly crashed into them at high speed," police said.An officer said the container first hit the service truck from the rear, pushing the vehicle forward into the JCB parked ahead. The container then continued dragging the JCB for nearly 100 feet, crushing the workers sitting beside the vehicles. The site was left scattered with tools, work equipment and the workers' lunch boxes."Two workers died instantly, while a third succumbed to injuries in hospital. The deceased are Rahul Ramgiri (31) of Partur, Vireshwar Vishwakarma (32) of Mhow in Uttar Pradesh, and Ganesh Sandu Kasare (27) of Naigaon," the officer said.According to police, three other workers — Ramgopal Patel (31) from Madhya Pradesh, Dnyaneshwar Somnath Ghorpade (26) of Pokhari and Shailendra Bijendra Roy (28) from West Bengal — suffered serious injuries in the accident. "They were initially rushed by an ambulance operating on the expressway to the Govt Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and later shifted to a private hospital where they are undergoing treatment," the officer said.Police said the firm had installed safety barricades and warning signs at the work site while the repair work was underway.Traffic on one side of the expressway was halted for nearly two hours until the damaged vehicles were cleared.Highway security police inspector Kishor Chaudhary and assistant inspector Mohan Chavan rushed to the scene with their team after receiving alertabout the accident. They were soon joined by Chikalthana police station in-charge inspector Samratsingh Rajput, assistant inspector Samadhan Pawar, sub-inspector Uttam Nagargoje, and other personnel, who assisted in rescue efforts and helped restore traffic movement.Police said a case was being registered against the container driver at the Chikalthana police station. The driver fled immediately after the crash, inspector Rajput said, adding that efforts were underway to trace and arrest him.