Schoolboy killed as cement mixer hits bicycle in Chinchwad; driver arrested

Pune: A 14-year-old schoolboy was killed on Thursday afternoon after a cement mixer truck struck his bicycle in the Premlok Park area of Chinchwad.The Chinchwad police identified the deceased as Farukh Tamboli, a Class IX student at a private English medium school. The truck driver, Nivrutti Giri (39), a resident of Alandi, has been arrested and charged with causing death due to negligence.The accident occurred around 12:30 pm while Farukh was cycling home after his classes. He was heading toward Chapekar Chowk on the Akurdi-Chinchwad Road when the tragedy struck.Senior Police Inspector Dattatreya Chaskar of the Chinchwad police stated, "The cement mixer was traveling from Dudulgaon to Chapekar Chowk. The truck, which was driving behind the boy, hit the bicycle from the rear. The impact caused the boy to fall, and he was subsequently crushed under the wheels of the heavy vehicle."Farukh was rushed to the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in Pimpri, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.CCTV footage recovered from a nearby shop provided crucial evidence of the driver's negligence. The footage shows the truck trailing closely behind the bicycle as the boy crossed a speed-breaker. The truck driver failed to slow down at the speed-breaker and struck the bicycle immediately after crossing it.Investigators are also looking into claims made by eyewitnesses who alleged that the driver was using a cellphone at the time of the collision. "We have recovered CCTV footage from various points along the route and are scrutinizing it to verify if the driver was distracted by a phone," Inspector Chaskar added.The incident has once again raised concerns regarding heavy vehicle movement on city roads. While the Pimpri Chinchwad traffic police have banned heavy vehicles during peak hours—from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm—this accident occurred at 12:30 pm, just 30 minutes after the morning restriction ended."We will ensure stringent legal action is taken against the driver," Chaskar said.