Four members of a family from Mumbai, including two children, were killed and six others injured when their multiutility vehicle crashed into a stationary burnt truck on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway near Atgaon village in Thane district on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The family, which lived in Jogeshwari, was returning to Mumbai after visiting the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik district when the crash took place, according to a report by PTI carried by Mid-Day. The victims were originally from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, police said.
The MUV reportedly suffered a mechanical failure before crashing into the rear of the truck, which had allegedly been abandoned on the roadside for around two years. The impact severely damaged the vehicle, leaving it beyond repair, according to a police official quoted by PTI.
“ The car rear-ended a burnt truck that had been abandoned on the highway for the past two years, reducing the car to a total wreck,” the official said, as reported by PTI.
Four people died in the collision, including two children. Police said efforts were under way to establish the identities of the deceased. Six other passengers were injured and taken to Shahapur Sub-District Hospital for treatment.
Police and local authorities responded to the crash and began examining the circumstances surrounding the collision. The exact cause of the accident, including the reported mechanical failure and the presence of the stationary truck on the highway, was still being investigated, officials said.
The crash has also brought attention to the immediate safety risks posed by damaged or immobilised vehicles on a busy intercity road, although authorities had not yet announced any action relating to the truck. The investigation was continuing, with officials expected to establish the sequence of events and determine responsibility based on the available evidence.
