A Shirur road accident killed three members of a family, including two children, after an unidentified vehicle hit four pedestrians from behind near Amble village in Pune district late Thursday night. A fourth family member was seriously injured and is undergoing treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Kaushalya Vasant Zende, 61, and two minors, Soham Rajiv Zende, 13, and Aarushi Dattatray Zende, 11. Jyoti Rajiv Zende, 42, sustained serious injuries in the crash. All four were residents of Amble village in Shirur taluka.
According to the report filed at Shirur police station, the family members were walking home after attending a kirtan programme held as part of the week-long Akhand Harinam Saptah in Amble. Other villagers were also returning on foot when the collision occurred on the Shirur–Chaufula road near Kesari Hotel.
The vehicle, which was travelling from the Nhavare side, struck the pedestrians from behind. The impact threw all four onto the road. Soham and Aarushi suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene, while Kaushalya and Jyoti were taken by relatives to a private hospital in Shirur.
Kaushalya later died during treatment. Jyoti remains under medical care, according to the report. The crash occurred late on Thursday, October 29, and the three victims were cremated at the Amble village cremation ground on Friday, October 30, amid mourning in the village.
The driver of the unidentified vehicle did not stop after the crash and continued towards Shirur, the report said. Santosh Anil Zende, a relative of the deceased, lodged a complaint with the Shirur police station. A case has been registered against the driver.
The incident has again placed attention on the risks faced by pedestrians using roads outside built-up areas at night, particularly where local religious or community events generate movement along road edges. The supplied report does not specify whether the stretch had pedestrian paths, street lighting, warning signs or functioning roadside safety measures.
Further investigation is being conducted by Police Inspector Sagar Shelke under the guidance of Sub-Divisional Officer Ravindra Bhosale and Police Inspector Vinod Patil. Police are investigating the identity of the vehicle and its driver.
