Daijiworld Media Network – Virar
Virar, Jun 23: A 55-year-old woman lost her life and three others sustained serious injuries after a speeding State Transport (ST) bus collided head-on with a shared auto-rickshaw near the Arnala city bus stop in Virar West on Sunday morning.
The accident occurred around 8:30 am when the ST bus, en route to Shirdi from Arnala depot, allegedly attempted to overtake another vehicle and crashed into the auto carrying four passengers, including the driver.
The deceased, identified as Kalpana Kolge, was a resident of Arnala village and was returning home from Virar railway station. Auto driver Poonam Varthe and two other passengers were critically injured and are undergoing treatment at Sanjeevani Hospital in Virar West.
According to the police, the bus was travelling at high speed prior to the collision. “Fearing public outrage, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene,” said an official from Arnala Sagri police station. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the absconding driver.
Visuals of the mangled auto and damaged bus quickly circulated on social media, drawing attention to the tragic accident. A video posted by local news portal Nation Now 9 showed a large crowd at the site as police officials inspected the wreckage.
A case has been registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 281 (rash driving), and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Further investigation is ongoing.