11-year-old boy killed in hit-and-run in Taloja

Navi Mumbai: The Taloja Police are on the lookout for a water tanker driver who allegedly ran over an 11-year-old boy, Harshdeep Pankaj Patil in a hit-and-run case. The accident took place on Wednesday while he was returning home with his father and brother on a bike after shopping for school supplies in Kharghar. The accident resulted in the death of the boy and minor injuries to his father and brother.

According to the FIR registered by Harshdeep’s father, Pankaj Ashok Patil at the Taloja Police Station, the family was traveling on a two-wheeler beneath the railway underpass towards the RAF signal leading to Taloja Phase 1. An unidentified water tanker brushed past their vehicle causing an imbalance and the boy fell under the wheels of the tanker.

“The father stated that he lost balance of the bike as a result of the tanker driver’s negligence and rash driving. The elder son fell and came under the wheels of the tanker. He sustained grievous injuries on his head,” said the investigating officer.

Harshdeep was soon rushed to Medicover Hospital in Kharghar but could not be saved. He was declared dead on Thursday morning. The police shared that the father could not note the registration number of the tanker but recognised that the tanker belonged to Jeevan Damini Water Suppliers. Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the area to trace the vehicle and identify the driver.

A case has been registered against the tanker driver under section 106 (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 184 (dangerous driving), and 134(A) and 134(B) (duty of driver in case of accident) of the Motor Vehicles Act.