Just 20 minutes before a bus crashed on the Mumbai-Goa highway on Friday, killing two passengers and injuring 38 more, a motorist trailing behind the sleeper coach had seen the bus driver driving erratically and even reported it to the RedBus app.
This “digital warning” is now being scrutinised by the Nagothane police as grounds to prove criminal negligence by the bus driver. Survivors have already alleged that driver Hemant Patil, 33, was intoxicated.
As mid-day had earlier reported, the terrified Goa-bound passengers had even filed a complaint on the app and halted the journey for a midnight “sit-in” protest. But with no alternative transport at 2 am, they were forced back into the vehicle which crashed an hour later in Sukeli Khind, a notorious stretch of the highway.
It has since emerged that a motorist driving behind the bus also reported the bus being driven recklessly on the narrow ghat section. “The motorist even spoke to some survivors after the crash, confirming he had tried to flag the danger digitally,” said a police source. This “third-party” evidence is now central to the case being built by API Sachin Kulkarni of Nagothane Police Station.
A team from the RTO is expected to conduct a “mechanical audit” of the bus. Investigators are looking for signs of brake failure or steering lock, though preliminary findings suggest the bus failed to negotiate an “upward gradient” due to excessive speed.
Driver in coma
The driver, Hemant Patil, a resident of Kankavli, remains in a coma at Alibaug Civil Hospital. He has been booked under the BNS for rash driving and causing death by negligence. “We have sent the driver’s blood samples for chemical analysis,” API Sachin Kulkarni said, “Once the medical report confirms the alcohol level, we will be in a position to press more stringent sections.”
Doctors say
One of the deceased has been identified as Advocate Neelam Vibhute, a resident of Panvel. Neelam was traveling with her husband, Vaibhav , who also sustained injuries. The second deceased victim was identified as Naeem Shaikh, a resident of Kamothe. At MGM Hospital, Kamothe, 12 of the 22 injured are in serious condition. Dr KR Salgotra, Medical Superintendent, confirmed that five patients are battling multi-organ trauma. “The nature of the injuries—pelvic fractures and head trauma—indicates the high velocity at which the bus hit the ground,” he said.
