Crane falls on biker, severing his leg on Eastern Express Highway in Vikhroli | File Photo
Mumbai: A 44-year-old biker lost his left leg after a crane, which was being transported in a trailer truck, got dislodged and fell on his leg. The accident, which took place in the wee hours of Saturday on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) in Vikhroli East, also led to massive traffic disruptions.
The accident caused significant traffic disruptions on the EEH, particularly near Godrej Gate, where northbound traffic slowed down for hours. The Ghatkopar bridge remained closed for six hours, forcing authorities to divert vehicles to the service road. Issuing an alert on X, the traffic police informed commuters, stating, “Traffic movement is slow at Vikhroli Godrej Gate due to a heavy vehicle breakdown.”
According to the police, the mishap occurred when the victim, Vipul Panchal, a resident of Kandivali West and a contractor by profession, was returning home from work in Navi Mumbai. While descending the slope of the Pant Nagar bridge, the driver of the large trailer truck, carrying the crane, lost control. The heavy-duty machinery fell onto Panchal’s leg, severing it from the knee. Bystanders rushed Panchal to Sion Hospital and later he was shifted to a private hospital at the request of his family.
Shortly after the accident, the Vikhroli police issued a notice to the accused truck driver, Laltapradad Yadav, 59 a resident of Vikhroli West. He was booked under sections 281 (rash driving), 125(a) and 125(b) (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with provision 184 (dangerous driving) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Senior Inspector Suryakant Naikwadi explained, “The crane was heavy hence we faced challenges in removing it, which caused prolonged traffic disruptions. However, neither the truck driver nor the victim was intoxicated. The former has no prior cases against him.”
Further probe is on to determine whether safety lapses occurred during the transportation of the crane.
