A 55-year-old Shiv Sena office-bearer was killed after a speeding SUV rammed his motorcycle at Adghar village phata, an intersection and traffic diversion point near Mangaon town on the Mumbai-Goa highway, police said. The crash occurred around 10am on Tuesday while the rider was travelling towards Mumbai.
The deceased was identified as Janardan Changya Gowari, a resident of Dighi Koliwada in Raigad district’s Shrivardhan taluka. He was the Shiv Sena spokesperson for the taluka and was returning from Goregaon town in Mangaon taluka when the collision took place.
According to Mangaon police inspector Maruti Andhale, Gowari was riding along the Mumbai-bound lane and took a right turn at Adghar village phata. The SUV, which was travelling behind him, struck the right side of the motorcycle. Police said Gowari was dragged for about 20 metres before the vehicle stopped.
Gowari was taken to Mangaon sub-district hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The crash was recorded by a CCTV camera installed at Hotel Anand Bhuvan along the highway, providing investigators with footage of the incident.
The SUV driver, identified as 38-year-old Mahesh Shivdas Hirve of Govandi, was booked at Mangaon police station after a complaint by Gowari’s cousin, Kishore Laxman Gowari. Police invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to causing death by a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, endangering life or personal safety, and rash or negligent driving on a public road.
Relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act concerning dangerous driving were also applied. Police said Hirve was served a notice under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, in accordance with legal procedure.
The location identified by police combines a highway intersection with a traffic diversion, bringing turning movements into direct contact with vehicles travelling along the corridor. The available account does not specify the speed recorded by investigators, the design of the diversion, or whether additional traffic-control measures were in place at the junction.
The police case will proceed on the basis of the complaint, the CCTV footage and the provisions applied against the SUV driver. Further action will depend on the investigation into the collision and the evidence collected at the site.
