Mumbai: A 45-year-old swimming coach, Vinit Desai, was killed by a speeding autorickshaw while he was using the zebra crossing on the Western Express Highway in Jogeshwari on January 1. The driver fled the scene without stopping. The Jogeshwari police have registered a case against an unidentified individual and are searching for the autorickshaw driver.
About The Accident
According to the FIR, the deceased, who lived in Jogeshwari east, worked as a swimming coach in Lokhandwala, Andheri. On December 31, Desai left home at 7am, as usual. He would normally return home around 11pm, but that day, he informed his family that he planned to celebrate New Year’s Eve and was likely to be late.
The accident occurred around 2.30am on January 1 when Desai was crossing the northbound lane of the Western Express Highway, near the Shankarwadi bus stop. A speeding autorickshaw, heading toward Borivli, collided with him at the zebra crossing, causing him to fall and sustain serious injuries. The driver fled the scene, and witnesses failed to note the vehicleʼs registration number.
Shortly after the incident, another autorickshaw driver stopped to help. With the assistance of bystanders, Desai was transported to the trauma hospital in Jogeshwari east. However, doctors pronounced him dead at approximately 3.04am.
Complaint Filed
Desai’s 74-year-old mother, Jayashree, filed a complaint with the Jogeshwari police. A case was registered against an unidentified individual under sections 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) and 281 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with sections 184 (dangerous driving) and 134 (a) and 134 (b) (failure to report or assist after a motor vehicle accident) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
A police officer informed, “We are actively searching for the autorickshaw driver. The post mortem has been completed and the viscera has been preserved for further examination. We are awaiting additional reports.”
