Two young men riding a motorcycle were killed after a speeding Maruti Suzuki Ertiga collided with their vehicle on the Ashtavinayak Highway in Malthan village, within Shirur taluka, late on Sunday night, according to a report by Sakal. The car driver allegedly fled the scene after leaving the vehicle behind, and Shirur police have registered a case and begun a search.
The deceased have been identified as Ajay Balu Devkar, 28, a resident of Kavthe Yemai in Shirur taluka, and Kiran Arjun Chore, 24, of Chore Vasti in Dongargaon, Shirur. The two were travelling on a Honda Unicorn motorcycle when the crash occurred.
Police said the Ertiga, bearing registration number MH 03 EF 6559, was travelling from the Malthan side towards Kavthe Yemai. While attempting to overtake a vehicle ahead, the car collided forcefully with the motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction.
Both motorcyclists sustained serious injuries in the collision. Local young people reached the spot and shifted the injured men towards a hospital. However, they died before they could be admitted, the report said.
The crash occurred in the Malthan village limits on a highway where the report noted that accidents have been increasing. The circumstances described by police place an overtaking manoeuvre at the centre of the incident, although the investigation will determine the full sequence of events.
The driver allegedly left the car at the crash site without assisting the injured men or informing the police. Shirur police registered a case against the driver on the basis of a complaint filed by Suresh Maruti Chore. Police are searching for the driver, who had fled after the collision.
The incident highlights the immediate safety risks faced by two-wheeler riders on highways where vehicles travel at different speeds and overtaking takes place in mixed traffic. In this case, the collision involved a car attempting to pass another vehicle and a motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction. The report does not provide details of road lighting, traffic controls, the exact location of the overtaking manoeuvre or whether the driver had been identified.
Police Sub-Inspector Govind Khating is conducting the further investigation. The next steps will include locating the driver, examining the abandoned vehicle and establishing the precise circumstances that led to the fatal collision, according to the police action reported by Sakal.
