Pune: A horrific accident on the Pune-Nashik Highway near Narayangaon claimed nine lives and left several others injured. The incident occurred when a speeding Eicher truck rear-ended a Maximo passenger vehicle, which then collided with a stationary Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (ST) bus.

According to Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, the crash involved an ST bus that had broken down and was parked on the roadside. The Eicher truck hit the Maximo vehicle, which was carrying 13 passengers, pushing it into the stationary bus. The collision resulted in the deaths of nine passengers on the spot, while the remaining were seriously injured.

The accident occurred around 10:00 AM on Friday (January 17) near Muktai Dhaba. The impact was so severe that the Maximo vehicle was completely crushed between the truck and the bus. Eyewitnesses reported that the Eicher truck driver was attempting to overtake another vehicle when the crash happened. The driver fled the scene immediately after the accident.

Local residents were the first to respond, initiating rescue operations before police and emergency services arrived. The injured were rushed to Narayangaon Rural Hospital for treatment. The authorities have launched an investigation and are actively searching for the truck driver.

Accident Near Jejuri

A second accident occurred on the Alandi-Pandharpur Palkhi Highway at Belsar Crossing, near Jejuri, where an MSRTC bus collided with a two-wheeler. All three individuals riding the two-wheeler died on the spot.

The victims have been identified as Ramesh Kishan Memane (60), Santosh Dattatraya Memane (40), and Pandurang Damodar Memane (65), all residents of Boramal Vasti, Paragaon Memane in Purandar Taluka.

According to reports, the accident happened around 3:30 PM on Thursday when the three were crossing the road on their bike near an under-construction flyover. The MSRTC bus driver attempted to reduce the speed and veer off the road to avoid the accident, but the two-wheeler was dragged under the bus, leading to their deaths.