Navale Bridge Accident: Container Crashes Into 4–5 Vehicles on Pune–Bengaluru Highway
Narhe, 5th March 2026: Another serious accident occurred near Navale Bridge on the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48) on Thursday afternoon after a goods container reportedly went out of control and rammed into multiple vehicles.
The incident took place around 12:45 pm when the container, descending the slope near Ambegaon, collided with four to five private vehicles on the highway.
According to police, three to four people, including the container driver, were seriously injured in the crash and were rushed to a nearby private hospital for treatment.
The accident led to heavy traffic congestion in the Navale Bridge area for some time. Officials from the Highway Police, Traffic Police, and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) reached the spot soon after the incident and launched rescue operations. The injured persons trapped inside the damaged vehicles were rescued and shifted to hospital.
Senior Police Inspector Sharad Zine of Ambegaon Police Station said the goods container (MH-04 JY 8184) was heading towards Katraj via the Jambhulwadi Valley Bridge–New Katraj Tunnel route around 12:30 pm. While descending the slope near Navale Bridge, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
The container first crashed into four to five private passenger vehicles ahead of it and later overturned on the road.
The container driver sustained serious injuries in the crash. Several occupants of the affected vehicles were trapped inside, prompting local residents and disaster response personnel to assist in the rescue operation. Apart from the container driver, three others suffered serious injuries, while some passengers sustained minor injuries.
Police said the process of registering a case against the container driver has been initiated at Ambegaon Police Station. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.
Traffic on the Pune–Bengaluru highway slowed considerably following the crash, and congestion was reported on both sides of the road. The traffic jam lasted for nearly 30 minutes before highway police cleared the damaged vehicles and restored the movement of traffic.
The incident has once again raised safety concerns among commuters using the Navale Bridge stretch, which has witnessed several accidents in the past. Residents and motorists have renewed demands for a permanent solution to prevent recurring mishaps in the area.
