Pune: Wakad Politician Killed, Four Injured After SUV Rams Tempo in Missing Link Tunnel on Expressway
Pune, 7th August 2026: Tushar Bhumkar, a youth leader from Wakad, was killed after the SUV he was travelling in rammed into the rear of a goods tempo inside the Missing Link tunnel on the Pune–Mumbai Expressway in the early hours of Friday, police said.
The accident took place around 1.20 am within the jurisdiction of the Khandala Traffic Aid Post (TAP) of the Highway Safety Patrol (HSP), Pune Range.
According to the Highway Safety Patrol, the Toyota Fortuner was heading towards Mumbai when it allegedly crashed into the rear of an Eicher tempo. Preliminary investigations suggest overspeeding may have led to the accident. The impact caused both vehicles to overturn.
Bhumkar, aged around 30-35 years and a resident of Wakad, died on the spot. Four other occupants of the Fortuner sustained minor injuries, while the occupants of the tempo also suffered minor injuries. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital by an MSRDC ambulance for treatment.
Police said traffic on the expressway remained unaffected despite the accident, and vehicular movement continued without disruption.
Bhumkar’s death has cast a pall over the Wakad area, with condolences pouring in from political and social circles. His wife had earlier contested the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections on a Congress ticket. The exact circumstances leading to the collision are under investigation.
