In the sixth major accident involving the BEST fleet in two years, an electric AC bus collided with multiple vehicles in heavy traffic opposite Plaza Cinema in Dadar on Monday morning, resulting in the death of a 22-year-old delivery boy and injuries to six others. The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 am when the bus, after departing from the bus stop near Veer Kotwal Garden, appeared to lose control, according to preliminary investigations pointing to human error.
Driver Claims Technical Glitch
The bus driver, Vikas Padave (42), who sustained injuries in the crash, asserted that the bus was faulty. He told police that upon releasing the hand brake after leaving the bus stop, the vehicle accelerated automatically and became uncontrollable. However, authorities are investigating the cause, and a four-member committee of senior BEST officers and technical experts has been formed to examine the incident.
Legal Action Taken
The Shivaji Park police have registered a case against the driver under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, addressing negligence, rash driving, and endangering human life. Eyewitnesses reported that the bus, operating on route 463 between Dadar and Dharavi, struck a scooter, an electric bike, a taxi, a car, and an electric car at high speed.
Victims and Injuries
Seven victims were rushed to Sion Hospital. Among them, 28-year-old Niyaz Ali, a delivery boy for an app-based food delivery platform, was declared dead on arrival. Rishabh Gupta (22), also a delivery boy for the same platform, remains in critical condition with severe head injuries. A pedestrian, Amit Mhatre (40), suffered blunt trauma to his back, left shoulder, and thigh.
The other four injured were BEST employees, including two bus inspectors. Driver Padave had minor trauma to his left knee, inspector Mahesh Doiphode (50) sustained injuries to his left leg, wrist, and back, and inspector Satish Waghmare (48) had trauma to his left chest. Conductor Rajendra Pelekar was in stable condition. However, hospital officials noted that all BEST workers except the driver left the hospital after X-rays, and Mhatre could not be located.
Investigation and Safety Measures
BEST Assistant General Manager R M Madavi stated that the committee will prioritize its investigation due to the incident's severity. CCTV footage of the crash went viral, recalling previous BEST bus accidents in Kurla (2024) and Bhandup (2025). Police confirmed that Padave, who has prior experience with wet lease buses since January 2020 and joined Evey Trans in March 2021, is considered well-experienced.
A police officer quoted Padave as saying, "When I started the bus and released the hand brake, the bus automatically accelerated. The acceleration got locked, so I couldn't control it. I tried to avoid pedestrians by hitting vehicles, but bikers came in the way."
Following the accident, BEST panel chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao convened a meeting with all wet lease bus operators, emphasizing accident prevention and safety for passengers and pedestrians. The BEST has also decided to inspect all electric buses for technical defects and sensitize drivers on safety protocols specific to electric buses.
