AI Expert and Cab Driver Dead in Crash with Parked Truck on Pune-Mumbai Expressway
Shirgaon, 13th April 2025: An accident on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway claimed the lives of an artificial intelligence (AI) expert and his cab driver on Friday morning, after their vehicle collided with a stationary truck on the shoulder lane near Shirgaon around 8:30 AM.
The victims have been identified as Sachin Mahendra Dedhia (46), a resident of Vashi, Navi Mumbai, and cab driver Parmeshwar Shivling (57) from Dharashiv. Dedhia was en route to Pune to deliver a lecture on artificial intelligence, police said.
Following a complaint by Dedhia’s cousin, Ritesh Mamniya (41) of Borivali, the Shirgaon police registered a case against the truck driver for rash and negligent driving leading to death under relevant sections of the BNS.
Speaking about the incident, Sub-Inspector Ashok Kendre of Shirgaon police station said the truck was improperly parked on the expressway, which is prohibited unless the vehicle is facing a genuine emergency. “As per the rules, stopping on the expressway shoulder is only permitted if there’s a mechanical fault or a flat tyre. The truck driver claimed the engine overheated, which forced him to halt,” Kendre explained.
According to the preliminary investigation, the cab was travelling from Mumbai to Pune when the accident occurred. “The driver tried to overtake another car from the extreme left lane and ended up crashing into the rear end of the parked truck,” Kendre said.
Both Dedhia and Shivling sustained fatal injuries and were declared dead at the scene. The accident caused brief traffic congestion on the expressway during the morning rush.
