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B Com students struck by speeding truck on Western Express Highway; pillion died on the spot, rider succumbed to injuries hours later in hospital

Two second-year B Com students, who always took the bus for their daily commute to college, decided to borrow a friend’s bike to get to their exam hall on time.

Little did the two know that tragedy laid waiting for them on the highway ahead. A speeding truck rammed their bike from the rear on the Western Express Highway near Borivli around 6.45 am yesterday.

Tapan Mehta (23) who was riding pillion died on the spot, as the speeding vehicle ran over him. Umanand Saini (20), who was riding the bike, succumbed to his injuries a few hours later at Bhagwati hospital.

Mehta and Saini, residents of Dahisar, were students of Nirmala Memorial College, Kandivli (East) and were headed to give their exam scheduled to begin at  7.30 am, when the tragedy struck.

The police arrested the truck driver Maloji Hanumat Surnar (26), and have booked him under Sections 279 (rash driving), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act of endangering life), and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC.

Police Sub-inspector Sameer Baravkar from Kasturba Marg police station said, "Preliminary examination of the truck driver has established that he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. However, his blood sample has been sent for tests."

Speeding truck
According to eyewitnesses, the speeding truck hit the bike from behind, throwing the duo off the bike. After dragging the two-wheeler for a few metres, the truck came to a halt.
"The post-mortem report says haemorrhage, shock and multiple injuries were the cause of death. Saini had received 25 stitches on his head before succumbing to his injuries, while the truck went over pillion Mehta’s stomach," said Baravkar.

A friend in need
According to Tanuj Trivedi, a common friend of the deceased, Saini and Mehta used to commute by bus every day from their residence in Dahisar to their college in Kandivli (East).
 
"But on Thursday night Saini approached a friend and borrowed his bike so that he could get to his examination on time, which was scheduled at 7.30 am," said Trivedi.

"Saini had reached college earlier than expected. He then received a call from Mehta asking him to return to Dahisar to pick him up.

Saini went to pick him up and on their way back to college, tragedy struck," said Trivedi. On hearing about the incident, close friends of the deceased skipped their exams to offer support to the families of the duo.

Vice-principal of Nirmala Memorial College, Jignesh Dalal, said, "I feel sad for the families of the deceased students and more because of the tragic way they met their end. We will be holding a re-exam for friends of the two students who missed their exams."