Three people died after a speeding container on Monday hit a scooter near the Mumbra bypass in Maharashtra`s Thane district, officials said, adding that a manhunt launched to nab driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.

The incident took place on at around 3:01 pm on Monday near the Gaondevi Temple on the Mumbra Bypass Road, they said.

According to the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), a container truck heading towards Shilphata, rammed into a Suzuki Access two-wheeler from behind leaving three people seriously injured.

“All three riders on the two-wheeler suffered serious injuries and were rushed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa,” said an official.

He said that the doctors declared all three dead on arrival.

The deceased were later identified as Hasan Akram Shaikh, 19, Mohiuddin Mohammad Khushishek, 19 and Afzal Sakur Shaikh, 22. All were residents of Gaondevi in  Mumbra, the official said.

The RDMC, in an official statement said that following the incident, the civic officials, local police and traffic department rushed to the spot.

“The officials from the city traffic police and fire brigade reached the scene quickly with one fire brigade vehicle. The container driver fled the spot and is currently absconding. Police have launched a manhunt to locate the driver and further investigation is underway,” said the official.

He said that the Mumbra Police Station has registered a case against the yet to be identified driver of the vehicle involved in the incident and is coordinating with the traffic department for further investigations in the matter.

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Thane awarded a compensation of Rs 26.25 lakh to the husband and minor son of a woman who died in a motorcycle accident in 2021.

According to the PTI, in a judgment delivered by Judge R.V. Mohite on Friday, the tribunal directed Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. and the owner of the car involved in the accident to jointly and severally pay the compensation, along with 9 per cent annual interest from the date of petition filing, within one month.

The victim, Sadaf Abdul Gafoor Mulla, was riding pillion on a two-wheeler with her husband and son on Kalyan-Badlapur Road on the night of September 29, 2021, when a rashly driven car struck their vehicle. She sustained severe head injuries and succumbed to them five days later during treatment.

The tribunal found the car driver guilty of rash and negligent driving, stating that he failed to control the vehicle and fled the scene after the collision.

The insurance company initially denied liability, claiming the driver was intoxicated, thus violating policy terms. However, the court rejected this argument, citing a chemical analysis report that showed only 0.055 per cent alcohol in the driver’s blood, below the legal limit.

Judge Mohite concluded that the driver held a valid and effective driving licence, and there was no breach of insurance terms.

As per the order, Rs 10 lakh will be awarded to the husband, while Rs 16.25 lakh will be deposited in a fixed account for the minor son until he reaches legal age.

(with PTI inputs)

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