Man On Morning Walk Dies After Being Hit By Four-Wheeler In Undri

A 49-year-old man, Sujit Kumar Singh, a resident of Undri, was out for a morning walk on Tuesday when he met with an accident near Nyati Esteban Society and succumbed to his injuries. The incident occurred around 6:40am. It left the victim critically injured with severe head trauma. He was rushed to Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) but was declared dead on arrival. Police are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby residential areas to trace the vehicle involved.

According to eyewitnesses, a four-wheeler hit the man. They believe a blind spot in the area may have contributed to the accident, raising concerns over road safety in the locality.

Meanwhile, the accident fueled anger among residents, and they took to social media to express their frustration. Residents of Undri and Mohammadwadi have united to pin responsibility for the accident on the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), elected representatives, and developers for creating a recipe for disaster.

Sunil Koloti, a resident of Undri took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote, “The accident needs attention. Another life was lost due to negligence. A morning walker was fatally hit by a speeding car at a blind turn near Nyati Ebony. No CCTV. No speed breakers. No pedestrian safety. This isn’t just an accident—it’s a failure of PMC infrastructure. How many more lives need to be lost before PMC takes action? In the last few months, this is the second soul lost; earlier one was a young practicing doctor. Our roads should be safe for everyone, not just vehicles. We demand immediate safety measures.”

The citizens demanded the installation of speed breakers, CCTV cameras, expansion of roads, fixing of all potholes on a war footing basis, and prioritization of pedestrian safety. They highlighted that Undri has been neglected by PMC since October 2017, post-merger with PMC. Already three PMC Commissioners have gone, and to date the place is neglected and funds diverted to elite places, keeping Undri deprived of basic amenities and infrastructure.

Baramati MP Supriya Sule also took note of the accident. She wrote, “This is a very sad incident. A heartfelt tribute to the resident who died in this incident. In the last few years, traffic has increased greatly here. Due to this, it has become dangerous to walk on the road even in the morning. The citizens of this area are constantly demanding that appropriate measures be taken in this regard, but the government is not taking proper notice of this. Considering the traffic here, the roads are no longer safe for pedestrians to walk. Necessary care needs to be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again. There is ample open space in this area and the Municipal Corporation has made various types of reservations there. This includes a reservation for a park and it will be useful for the citizens for morning walks. I request the Municipal Commissioner to take immediate steps to build a park in this area and ensure the safety of pedestrians, keeping in mind the demands and needs of the citizens.”

Nupur Lalvani, another resident said, “The lack of safe infrastructure, no parks, no footpaths and the fact that pedestrians and cyclists are mowed down is sadly all too common. Sharing some walker/runner safety tips: ⁠Always walk or run against the traffic. You should face the traffic to be able to see oncoming vehicles; use footpaths where available; no headphones but if you must, keep the volume low. Don’t wear noise-cancelling headphones; if you’re running in the dark, wear bright/reflective clothing; carry your phone/ID. All phones have the ability to add your medical information to be shown on the lock screen, activate it; ⁠⁠inform someone (that you’re heading out, the route etc); and ⁠be alert always – if something feels off/unsafe, pay heed to it, especially women runners.”