Tragic Campaign Drive Ends in Multiple Fatalities
A routine election campaign turned into tragedy on Friday evening when a car carrying Shiv Sena candidate Kiran Chaubey met with a devastating accident on the Ambernath flyover in Thane district. The incident resulted in four fatalities and three serious injuries, sending shockwaves through the political community and local residents.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Crash
According to senior police officials, the accident occurred while Chaubey was traveling to Buvapada for an election campaign event in Ambernath West. Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage revealed that the driver, 30-year-old Laxman Shinde, suddenly became motionless while operating the Tata Nexon vehicle, apparently suffering a heart attack that caused him to lose control.
The CCTV footage captured the horrifying moment when the car, heading from Ambernath East to West, abruptly swerved to the right before colliding with multiple vehicles coming from the opposite direction. The high-impact crash involved at least four to five vehicles, with the force of collision being so severe that one of the victims was flung into the air along with his motorcycle.
Victims and Immediate Aftermath
The deceased have been identified as Laxman Shinde (the driver), and bikers Chandrakant Anarse, Shailesh Jadhav, and Sumit Chelani. Anarse and Jadhav were both employees of the municipal council, adding to the tragedy's impact on the local community. Chandrakant Anarse succumbed to his injuries during treatment after being violently thrown from his motorcycle.
Among the injured, Shiv Sena candidate Kiran Chaubey sustained serious injuries and is currently admitted to Fortis Hospital. Other injured persons include Amit Chavan and an unidentified biker, both of whom are receiving treatment at Dombivali hospital.
Senior Inspector Shabbir Sayyed of Ambernath police station confirmed that passersby immediately rushed to assist after the accident. The rescue operation involved breaking open the car's windows to extract Chaubey from the mangled vehicle, while injured bikers were promptly transported to medical facilities.
Police Investigation and Legal Proceedings
The Ambernath police have registered a case against the deceased driver, Laxman Shinde, as part of standard procedure following fatal accidents. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore stated that while the exact cause of the driver's condition remains under investigation, the post-mortem examination would provide definitive answers.
"We cannot say at this stage what happened to the driver. But he lost control of the vehicle, and that was captured by the CCTV camera," Gore commented during a press briefing.
Authorities are currently analyzing multiple pieces of evidence, including comprehensive CCTV footage and eyewitness testimonies, to reconstruct the exact sequence of events. Additionally, the police have announced plans to conduct a mechanical inspection of the vehicle to rule out any technical failures that might have contributed to the accident.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over the ongoing election campaigns in the region, highlighting the risks and pressures faced by political candidates during this intense period. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of road safety concerns, particularly on elevated structures like flyovers where high-speed collisions can have catastrophic consequences.
