Fatal Rear-End Collision on Mumbai-Pune Expressway Claims One Life, Leaves Three Critically Injured
Pimpri Chinchwad, 5th May 2026: An accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the early hours of Monday, May 4, 2026, resulted in the death of a 55-year-old woman and left three others severely injured after a speeding car rammed into the rear of a moving cargo trailer.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:00 AM near the Ozarde village limits (Km 79/500) heading towards Pune, falling under the jurisdiction of the Shirgaon-Parandawadi police station, Pimpri Chinchwad police.
According to the police, the complainant, Pravin Dhanna Singh (28), a commercial driver from Ajmer, Rajasthan, was transporting cargo from Ahmedabad to Kolhapur in a heavy trailer (Registration: GJ-27 TF-9607). While Singh was driving in the designated lane, an Ertiga car (Registration: MH 12 ZE 5102) approaching from behind at a reckless speed crashed violently into his vehicle.
The impact of the collision was so severe that the front portion of the car was completely crushed and wedged underneath the rear of the trailer. A car driver alerted the trailer driver about the accident, following which the trailer was stopped. A commuter called the ambulance, and emergency responders rushed to the scene, extracting the trapped victims from the mangled wreckage before rushing them to Pawana Hospital.
The deceased has been identified as Sunita Narayan Bhat (55), a resident of Vile Parle, Mumbai. According to police, Bhat succumbed to her extensive injuries prior to receiving medical treatment.
Three other passengers sustained grievous injuries and are currently undergoing medical care. They have been identified as Saudagar Devidas Gaikwad (42), Bipin Prajapati (27) from Mahalunge, Pune, and M.D. Naeem Akbar (53) from Nalanda, Bihar.
Following a formal complaint by the trailer driver, the Shirgaon-Parandawadi police have booked the driver of the Ertiga, 21-year-old Pratik Sarvade, a resident of Bhosari, Pune. Authorities stated that the accident was a direct result of Sarvade’s reckless and negligent driving.
Sarvade has been charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Section 106(1) (causing death by negligence), Section 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way), and Sections 125(a), 125(b), and 324(1) relating to acts endangering life and causing grievous hurt. Additionally, he faces charges under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989.
The initial case was registered by Police Inspector Vishal Vilas Patil, and the ongoing investigation has been assigned to Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Naid Ajij Shaikh.
