Three members of a family, including two minors, were killed and a woman was seriously injured after an unidentified vehicle struck four pedestrians from behind on the Shirur–Chaufula road at Amble village in Pune district late on Thursday night. The driver reportedly fled without stopping, and a case has been registered at Shirur police station.
The deceased have been identified as Kaushalya Vasant Zende, 61, and children Soham Rajiv Zende, 13, and Aarushi Dattatray Zende, 11. Jyoti Rajiv Zende, 42, was seriously injured and is undergoing treatment, according to the report filed with police.
The family members had attended a kirtan programme held as part of the Akhand Harinam Saptah in Amble village. After the programme ended, they, along with other villagers, were walking towards their settlement late on Thursday, October 29. The collision took place near Kesari Hotel when a vehicle travelling from the Nhavare side hit the pedestrians walking along the edge of the road.
The impact threw all four pedestrians onto the road. Soham and Aarushi suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene, while Kaushalya and Jyoti were taken to a private hospital in Shirur by relatives. Kaushalya later died during treatment. Jyoti remains under medical care.
The vehicle continued towards Shirur after the crash without stopping. The report does not identify the vehicle or its driver. Santosh Anil Zende, a relative of the deceased, filed a complaint at Shirur police station, following which a case was registered against the driver.
The deaths have caused grief in Amble village, where the three victims were cremated on Friday, October 30. The incident has also brought renewed attention to the risks faced by pedestrians using the edges of busy roads at night, particularly in village areas where community gatherings can lead to groups walking home after dark.
Police officials said the investigation is being conducted under the guidance of Sub-Divisional Officer Ravindra Bhosale and Police Inspector Vinod Patil. Police Inspector Sagar Shelke is handling the further investigation, including the effort to identify the vehicle and locate its driver.
