Passenger Dies in Drunken Driving Incident on Pune-Nagar Road
Yerwada, 31st December 2024: A tragic accident claimed the life of a 38-year-old autorickshaw passenger early Sunday morning when the vehicle, driven on the wrong side of the road by an allegedly drunk driver, collided with a parked cab near Aga Khan Palace on Pune-Nagar Road. The incident occurred around 1:50 am and resulted in the death of Dharamveer Radheshyam Singh, a resident of Wadgaonsheri.
The autorickshaw driver, identified as John Raju Swamy (31), also from Wadgaonsheri, was arrested by the Yerawada police. He faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as well as drunk driving.
Senior Inspector Ravindra Shelke from Yerawada police station provided details of the accident.
“The autorickshaw was traveling on the wrong side of the road when it crashed into a parked cab and overturned. While the driver sustained minor injuries, the passenger, Singh, fell from the vehicle and suffered critical injuries. He was rushed to a private hospital but was declared dead upon arrival. The Sassoon General Hospital’s postmortem report confirmed that Singh died from multiple injuries,” Shelke said.
According to the police, Swamy was subjected to a blood alcohol test at Sassoon General Hospital following the incident. “The medical officer’s report confirmed that Swamy had consumed alcohol at the time of the accident,” Shelke added.
The cab driver, Parag Sharma (28), originally from Shivane in Madhya Pradesh and currently residing in Chandannagar, was at the scene when the accident occurred. Recalling the incident, Sharma said, “I had parked my cab by the roadside near Ramwadi Chowk and was about to confirm an online booking for a customer when the autorickshaw, coming from the wrong side, crashed into my car before overturning. The passenger was thrown from the vehicle and lost consciousness. I escaped unhurt.”
Sharma further explained that he tried to get help for the injured passenger. “I called for an ambulance, but it did not arrive promptly. Finally, I used a private autorickshaw to take Singh to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries before receiving treatment,” Sharma said.
The Yerawada police have impounded both the autorickshaw and the cab for inspection by the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
Swamy was presented in court on Monday, but the magistrate denied the police’s request for custody, stating there was nothing further to recover from the accused. Swamy has been remanded to judicial custody and is currently lodged at Yerawada Central Prison.
