Mumbai-Pune Expressway Triple Crash Kills Two Near Lonavala

Lonavala: A devastating triple-vehicle accident on the Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway claimed two lives and left three others injured in the early hours of Monday. The tragic crash occurred around 4:30 a.m. near Kilometer 36.500 close to Lonavala, involving a rice-laden truck, an edible oil container, and an Ertiga car.

According to preliminary information, the driver of the rice-loaded truck, travelling from Pune towards Mumbai, reportedly lost control of the vehicle and crashed into an edible oil container moving ahead. The impact was so severe that the truck also collided with a passing Ertiga car, triggering a major chain-reaction accident on one of Maharashtra’s busiest highways.

Following the collision, both the rice-laden truck and the edible oil container overturned on the expressway, scattering rice bags and oil across the roadway. The accident temporarily affected all four lanes, leading to significant traffic disruption during the early morning hours.

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The truck driver and cleaner suffered critical injuries and died on the spot. Their identities had not been established at the time of reporting. The container driver sustained minor injuries, while one passenger in the Ertiga suffered serious injuries and another sustained minor wounds.

The injured have been identified as Lilabai Saste (80), Mukinda Saste (56), and Mahendra Pal (39). They were rushed to Khopoli Rural Hospital and MGM Hospital, Kamothe, for medical treatment.

Emergency response teams from the Highway Traffic Police (Borghat Unit), Khopoli Police Station, IRB Patrolling, Devdoot System, Delta Force, Maharashtra Security Force, Lokmanya Hospital, and Help Foundation swiftly launched rescue and clearance operations. Authorities later removed the damaged vehicles and debris, restoring normal traffic flow on the expressway.

The incident once again highlights the growing concern over high-speed highway accidents and the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.