Container crashes into truck on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, kills police on duty

A 35-year-old highway traffic police constable was killed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway after a speeding container crashed into a stationary truck. The constable was asking the truck driver to move the vehicle when he got hit.

The incident took place between 2.30am and 3am on Tuesday near Bhatan village in Panvel. Constable Sachin Sonwalkar, attached with the Palaspe unit of the Panvel highway traffic police, was responding to a control room call in the area regarding animal crossing.

“The area where Sonwalkar reached witnesses animal crossing and is an accident-prone spot. He noticed that a driver had parked his truck along the highway. The driver was urinating on the roadside. Sonwalkar approached him and was asking him to leave,” said Subhash Pujari, assistant inspector, Palaspe highway traffic unit.

Sonwalkar was standing near the parked truck with the driver standing towards the side. Meanwhile, a speeding container rammed into the parked vehicle from behind. Due to the impact, the truck hit Sonwalkar. He fell and sustained severe head injuries.

Panvel rural police officials said Sonwalkar was declared dead on the spot. The first truck driver suffered a fractured arm while the accused container driver fled the spot, leaving his vehicle.

A case of causing death due to negligence and rash driving has been registered against the unknown driver under Indian Penal Code. The Panvel rural police are investigating the case.