MARGAO
In a tragic accident that took place in the wee hours of Tuesday at Navelim, an elderly couple in their 70’s, lost their lives, while their daughter, son-in-law and grandchild sustained injuries after the vehicle in which they were travelling hit a road divider.
Tragedy hit the family around an hour and half at 5.45 am on Tuesday after the couple Joaquim Rodrigues (72) and Lina Albertina Joaquim Rocha Rodrigues (74), both residents of Carmona, along with their daughter Jessie Ciba Rodrigues (52) and 16-year old grand-daughter Venetia Noronha arrived from Dubai at the Dabolim airport at 5 am.
Police said the son-in law of the elderly couple, Santano Robino Noronha (54), resident of Tolleaband-Chinchinim had hired a taxi Maruti Eco bearing No. GA-08-V-4207 driven by driver Benny Pereira (54), a resident of Chinchinim to collect his family from Dabolim Airport and to drop them at their native place at Carmona.
The police said that on reaching Navelim, the vehicle met with a self-accident. “As per the version of the driver, he had started at 3 am to collect his passengers at Dabolim airport. On reaching Navelim, he is reported to have dozed off before losing control of the vehicle”, informed Margao Traffic Cell in-charge, PI Gautam Salunke.
He said the place where accident occurred is a four-lane highway joining Navelim to Cuncolim. There is a central divider separating the lanes.
PI Salunke said the driver has informed the vehicle Maruti Eco first hit the central divider on the right hand side and then rammed against the compound wall on the left hand side. The elderly couple lost their life due to the impact of the accident. Other family members of the deceased including daughter and son-in-law have sustained injuries. The duo has since been shifted to the Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim, while the granddaughter is kept for observation at the Margao hospital.
The Margao police has registered an offense against the driver of the ill-fated driver under section 279, 304 (A), 337 and 338 of the IPC.
Margao PI Tulsidas Naik said the accused driver is admitted in the South Goa district hospital for treatment. Further investigation is in progress.
