NAVI MUMBAI: Five days after a speeding BMW plunged 75 feet from the Coastal Road into an under-construction site, killing three young occupants, a Class 12 student had a miraculous escape on Thursday when his Honda City fell onto the Belapur-Uran railway tracks in Navi Mumbai, disrupting train services on the busy route for more than one-and-a-half hours.
The accident, which occurred around 3.05pm near Vishwanand Samadhi on Parsik Hill Road, could have resulted in a major disaster had a local train been passing through at the time of the accident, a police officer said.
The Honda City hit multiple spots along the hillside before plunging 60 feet onto the railway tracks. The student, a Turbhe resident, believed to be 17-years-old, who was driving the car, was found in the rear section of the mangled vehicle. The impact severely damaged the car, with several parts of the vehicle scattered across the tracks. He was rescued by locals and fire brigade and police personnel and rushed to MGM Hospital, CBD Belapur. He suffered minor head injuries and was admitted for treatment. “We are yet to record his statement as he is in shock after the fall. There is still no clarity on what caused the vehicle to move and topple down the hill. But the boy has miraculously escaped with only minor head injuries. No other person was found in or around the vehicle. Preliminary information suggests that the student had allegedly purchased the vehicle using his friend’s details a few months ago, allegedly without his parents’ knowledge. Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s ownership and use. No case had been registered till Thursday evening. The accident disrupted services on the Uran line for more than one-and-a-half hours as railway personnel worked to remove the mangled vehicle from the tracks. The incident has also raised concerns over safety measures along Parsik Hill Road, particularly on stretches overlooking the railway tracks.
Doctors and police said he was out of danger. At the accident spot, where the badly damaged car was found between the two tracks, the boy was found in the rear section of the vehicle,” said the investigating officer, who said it is yet to be established whether the boy was wearing a seatbelt or not. The officer said the car is registered in the name of the boy’s friend. Police officers said they reconstructing the sequence of events that led to the car plunging from the road onto the railway tracks. “Fortunately, there was no train on the track at the time of the incident, preventing a major disaster,” said Sudhir Dani of Sajag Nagrik Manch, Navi Mumbai, which a citizen forum and non-governmental organization.
As the student has not yet been able to speak properly, police have not been able to establish what happened immediately before the vehicle plunged onto the tracks. Residents, along with fire brigade and police personnel, helped rescue the injured student before the car was subsequently cleared from the railway tracks.
“To prevent such life-threatening incidents in the future, the Railway Administration and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) must immediately install sturdy crash barriers, speed governors and necessary safety measures,” he said.
