On Pune-Nashik highway, ‘drunk’ minor crashes SUV into 3 vehicles; auto driver dead, 2 injured

Police sub-inspector Pankaj Mahajan, the investigating officer, said the age of the accused driver is 17 years and 10 months. He is a native of Assam and is a first-year student at a government-run engineering college in Pune. His father is a soldier in the Indian Army.

The probe by the police revealed that after allegedly consuming liquor on Saturday evening, the accused was driving his friend’s SUV from Bhosari to Nashik Phata at a high speed. He lost control after which the SUV collided with the road divider near the office of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) on the Pune-Nashik highway in Bhosari around 9.45 pm.

Police said the impact was so severe the SUV jumped the road divider and crashed into three vehicles — an autorickshaw, a scooter and a motorcycle coming from the opposite side.

After receiving information, a police team rushed to the spot and nabbed the minor driver. The victims were taken to hospital. Police said Kamble was pronounced dead by doctors. The victims on the scooter and motorcycle received injuries.

Police have booked the accused under sections 281 (rash driving), 125(a), 125(b) for endangering the personal safety or life of others, 324(4), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections of the Motor Vehicle Act. His blood samples were taken for medical examination. Police said the accused did not have a driving licence. One of his friends was sitting in the SUV at the time of the accident. Police have seized the SUV.

Police said the family of the accused was informed of the mishap. He was produced before the juvenile justice board (JJB) on Monday and sent to observation home, police said.