A 45-year-old oil tanker driver died on Monday afternoon after reportedly losing control of his vehicle, crashing into the railings of the Varsova bridge and plunging into Bhayandar creek. The tragic accident occurred around 11.45 am on the Mumbai-bound lane of the old bridge over the creek.
“It was an oil tanker which was coming from Gujarat and heading towards Thane when the driver Munna Dharamdev Chavan lost control over the vehicle, which veered off the bridge and plunged into the creek after crashing through the railings. We have managed to fish out the body of the driver, who is a resident of Goregaon. He was alone in the tanker,” said a senior officer attached to Kashigaon police station, where the accidental death report (ADR) has been registered and further investigations are underway.
Search operation underway to find the debris of the truck
After the oil tanker crashed into the bridge railing, glass shards from the windshield were scattered across the stretch. “One of the glass shards had the FASTag of the oil tanker. This FASTag helped us identify the vehicle that had plunged into the creek,” said the officer. Following the incident, chaos ensued on the bridge as commuters slowed down or halted their vehicles to capture videos and photos of the scene on their mobile phones. Police personnel were seen regulating traffic and attempting to clear the stretch.
Police officials, along with civic personnel, also arrived at the spot and launched a search operation. “The tanker could not be located due to the strong current in the creek. It is suspected that it may have gotten lodged in the silt on the creek bed,” a police officer said, adding, “Our officers made multiple rounds in boats to locate the tanker, but all efforts went in vain.”
After the body of the tanker driver was recovered, it was sent to Tembha Hospital for a post-mortem. The detailed report is awaited. Kashigaon police have informed the relatives of the deceased. They are investigating whether it was a freak accident or an act of mischief.
