College student run over by ST bus in Kalyan

THANE: A 16-year-old college student who was allegedly riding a two-wheeler on the wrong side of the road died after a speeding state transport bus rammed into his vehicle in Kalyan on Wednesday. The Kalyan police have registered an FIR against the bus driver, 35-year-old Santosh Karbhari Gaikwad, for negligent and rash driving.

The accident occurred around 11:30 AM on Birla College Road, according to the police. Eyewitness Sunil Utekar, a resident of the area who alerted the police, said, “There’s a serious issue with the short divider here; many bikers take the wrong side because of it. The residents, along with the traffic police, have been requesting to increase the length of the divider for a long time. In this case, the minor rider lost control, fell on the road and the speeding ST bus driver ran over him, causing his death on the spot.”

Following the incident, a case was registered at Mahatma Phule Chowk Police Station, Kalyan West. The bus driver was booked under section 106(1) (death caused by rash or negligent act) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 184 (dangerous driving) of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Sub-inspector Hanumant Humbe from the Kalyan police station said that the ST bus was being driven at high speed and in a negligent manner, which led to it ramming into the two-wheeler and causing the death of the 16-year-old rider.