Businessman on cycle killed as car ‘driven by 17-year-old’ hits him near Mumbai

KALYAN: A 42-year-old businessman cycling on an incomplete stretch of Kalyan's Ring Road was killed after a speeding car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy hit him, briefly flinging him in the air, on Tuesday night. The boy fled from the spot, went into hiding and was apprehended the next evening.

An FIR has been lodged for rash and negligent driving, along with non-bailable charges. Senior police inspector Amarnath Waghmode said his mother, who owns the vehicle, has also been named as an accused. The boy told police he had informed her before taking the car out. The boy's father is a lawyer.

Police sources said the boy posted on social media soon after the hit-and-run that he had had a "small accident" and feared being scolded by his father. The post was later deleted.

The brother of the victim, Srinivas Tandle, said he had picked up cycling that very day in the hopes of getting fitter.

Locals said many motorists speed and perform stunts on the stretch, which has led to accidents, including one less than a month ago.

Police said Tandle, the owner of multiple garments stores in Kalyan, had borrowed a bicycle from a friend two days before the accident. CCTV footage showed that while he was cycling on the road around 8pm on Tuesday, a car being driven at high speed swerved, crashed into him and sped away. Locals alerted Khadakpada police, who rushed Tandle to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police tracked down the car and found it in a parking lot of the building in which the 17-year-old's family lives. The vehicle had minor damage.

Tandle's brother, Ganesh, said the CCTV footage showed that the car driver was driving recklessly before hitting him. While demanding strict action, a family friend, Vimal Thakkar, urged Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation to expedite the pending Ring Road work and enhance safety measures to prevent more accidents. Outraged locals, especially walkers and cyclists who use the stretch daily, echoed him and sought installation of additional speed breakers, CCTV cameras and police barricades to improve safety.

On Feb 21, a 50-year-old man sustained serious injuries after a car hit him on the same stretch. Police took action against three persons and got their driving licences cancelled.

The Ring Road project is being developed in multiple phases by MMRDA. Work on the stretch between Barave and near Vadavali bridge has been stalled for the past two years owing to land acquisition issues. As a result, a significant portion of the road remains partially closed and is frequently used by residents for walking and cycling.