Software engineer dies in hit-and-run accident, cops nab SUV driver after 3 days

Soham Patel, 38, also a resident of Ravet, was celebrating Diwali with his family. A speeding SUV knocked him down while he was bursting firecrackers on the road in front of Felicity, a residential building in Ravet, around 9 pm.

Local residents rushed for his help as he was lying in a pool of blood on the road. The police were informed. A team of Pimpri-Chinchwad police rushed to the spot for investigation. Meanwhile, the victim was taken to a hospital, but he succumbed to injuries, the police said.

To get clues about the driver of the vehicle that knocked him down, the police started checking videos captured by CCTV cameras around the accident spot and other locations. A CCTV footage showing the accident went viral.

The police said while checking multiple CCTV videos, there was one footage in which the number of the car was partially visible. Probing into it further, the police identified the SUV and its driver, Aditya, and nabbed him.

“We have taken the accused driver into custody. He is a local farmer. Further investigation is on. The victim worked as a software engineer in a private company,” said senior police inspector Nitin Phatangare of the Ravet police station.

The accused told the police that a firecracker burst suddenly in front of his vehicle, due to which he could not control the SUV and the mishap took place, a police officer said.