Twin accidents on Samruddhi leave one dead, at least 27 injured

Buldhana: Two separate accidents within hours of each other on Samruddhi Expressway in Buldhana district claimed one life and injured at least 27 others since Sunday night. First accident occurred late Sunday near Donggaon in Mehkar tehsil, when a car rammed a stationary truck. A few hours later, another crash near Mehkar left dozens of passengers injured after a private travels bus headed for Nagpur collided with a truck.In the first accident, reported around 12.15am near Andhud area, a car carrying several occupants crashed into a stationary truck. Police said the truck driver had neither switched on the vehicle's hazard lights nor placed reflective warning signs. With visibility reduced at night, car driver failed to spot the truck and rammed it from behind. Krishna Sangeet Rathod (26), a resident of Somnath Nagar in Washim district, died on the spot. The front portion of the car was completely mangled, and other occupants sustained serious injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.A complaint was filed by Hemant Chavan (38), a resident of Yavatmal district, who was travelling in the same car along with his relatives. Donggaon police have registered a case against truck driver for negligence. In the second accident, at least 27 passengers were injured, including 15 seriously, when a private travels bus rammed a truck on Monday at around 4.20am. The crash occurred close to Pimpri Mali village on Nagpur corridor under Mehkar police station limits.The bus was travelling from Pune to Nagpur when its driver allegedly lost control and collided with a truck moving ahead. Following the accident, truck driver fled the scene along with the vehicle, and police have launched manhunt to trace him.The impact left several passengers trapped inside the bus. Teams from Samruddhi Expressway Fardapur unit and Mehkar police assisted by a local social worker and journalist Santosh Malose started rescue efforts.Police sub-inspector Arvind Tirankar and his team, along with emergency services, rescued the injured passengers. Ambulances under 108 service rushed victims to Mehkar Rural Hospital.Of the 27 injured, 15 sustained serious injuries while 12 suffered minor injuries. After initial treatment, critically injured patients were referred to other hospitals, while some were shifted to private hospitals by their relatives.Following the accident, traffic on the expressway was disrupted briefly, but authorities cleared the damaged bus using cranes and restored normal movement by around 9am.Police have registered a case and are investigating further.