Maharashtra: Two killed as speeding tanker hits motorcycle

PUNE: A motorcyclist was run over on Tuesday afternoon by a speeding tanker on Theur-Kolawadi road, off Pune-Solapur highway, while the pillion rider later succumbed to injury in a hospital.
Police identified the deceased as Laxman Londhe (20) and his friend, Avinash Pawar (29), both from Kolawadi village in Haveli taluka. Neither was wearing a helmet.

Sub-inspector Amit Gore from the Loni Kalbhor police on Wednesday said, “Londhe was riding the motorcycle and Pawar was riding pillion.The duo were heading towards Kolawadi from Tehur Phata. When Londhe tried to negotiate a pothole, the driver of the speeding tanker, coming from the rear, lost control over the vehicle and it hit the bike around 3.30pm.”
He said, “Londhe came under the rear wheels of the tanker and died instantly. Pawar was rushed to a nearby private hospital, and from there he was shifted to the Sassoon General Hospital. He died while undergoing treatment around 10.30pm on Tuesday. The Sassoon hospital in its advance post-mortem report certified that multiple injuries were the cause of death of Londhe and Pawar, both labourers.”
Gore said, “The tanker driver fled abandoning the vehicle. He will be arrested soon and a chargesheet against him will be filed. Sanjay Ram Kolawadi, one of the victims’ father, has registered an FIR against the driver for causing the death of his son and the latter’s friend due to negligence under Section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code, among other charges of the Motor Vehicles Act.”
Lack of maintenance
The Theur Phata-Kolawadi private road was initially constructed for catering to the needs of sugarcane industries. Later, other vehicles started plying on it. The state public works department (PWD) maintained the road till about three years ago.
“PWD stopped maintaining the road after some farmers, who gave their land for laying the road, filed petition in the Bombay high court over the issue of not giving them compensation,” said senior inspector Rajendra Mokashi from Loni Kalbhor police station.