Ten people of a family die after truck hits their minivan in Maharashtra’s Raigad district

“Our investigation has revealed that the truck driver was driving in the wrong direction as the lane was a one-way,” said superintendent of police (Raigad) Somnath Gharge.

“Owing to repair work on the road, there was a diversion before the one-way started, ” he said, adding that that the truck’s driver neglected the diversion and ended up on the (Ratnagiri-bound) one-way lane, leading to the collision with the oncoming minivan.

“The family stayed in the northern suburbs of Mumbai and started their journey on Wednesday night. They were travelling to their native place to attend the death anniversary function of a relative when the incident occurred,” he said.

All the ten people who were travelling in the Maruti Eeco succumbed to injuries. An officer said, “Except for the four-year-old boy, everyone died on the spot. Bhavya Pandit, who was being treated in a nearby government hospital, succumbed later in the day.”

Police said the truck driver, identified as Amrut Ketre (48), was headed to Raigad. Though he escaped from the spot, he was located with the help of the truck’s registration number and arrested on Thursday afternoon.

“He has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder along with rash and negligent driving because he was aware that driving along the wrong lane could lead to a major accident,” Gharge said.

Relatives of the deceased are expected to reach Raigad, police said.