Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Nov 18: In yet another disturbing case of tourist recklessness on Goan roads, a rent-a-car Thar jeep allegedly driven by a visitor rammed into a two-wheeler at Parra on Monday morning, leaving a brother–sister duo seriously injured. The driver fled immediately after the crash, further fuelling public outrage over the growing menace of unruly tourists.

Police said the speeding Thar was travelling from Calangute towards Mapusa when it collided head-on with the two-wheeler coming from the opposite direction. The impact flung the riders — 13-year-old Narendra Chavan, who was on his way to school, and his sister Nikita Chavan (21), heading to work in Baga — onto the road. Both sustained fractures and are undergoing treatment at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim.

Locals rushed to help the injured siblings, first shifting them to the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa before they were referred to GMC.

Meanwhile, the tourist behind the wheel escaped with the vehicle, which was later found abandoned near the Mopa airport. Mapusa Police are now tracing the rent-a-car owner to identify the driver.

The incident has renewed public anger over the rising threat posed by irresponsible tourists who routinely flout traffic rules with little fear of consequences. In recent weeks, social media has been flooded with visuals of dangerous behaviour — including a viral clip of a visitor leaning out of a moving car.

Residents say such incidents have become alarmingly common, turning Goa’s roads into accident hotspots for daily commuters. They have once again urged authorities to crack down on rash driving, impose stricter penalties, and tighten regulations on rent-a-car operations.

With reckless behaviour continuing unabated, locals warn that without decisive action, the safety of Goans will remain at risk — and the State’s reputation as a safe tourist destination could suffer further.