MAPUSA
Seven tourists from Satara-Maharashtra sustained injuries after their car collided with a parked container truck on National Highway 66 (NH-66) near Karaswada, Mapusa.
The incident occurred around 5.30 am on Tuesday, when the Maharashtra-registered car was heading toward Pernem after a visit to Goa.
Among the injured, three individuals “ Ganpat Kasit (47), Sachin Phalke (47), and Uday Bhosale (45) “ suffered severe injuries and were transferred to Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) in Bambolim for advanced treatment.
The other four occupants, identified as Pramod Jhanjne (47), Dharmendra Phalke (48), Pramod Jadhav (48), and Shankar Arate (47), sustained minor injuries.
The accident left the front portion of the car completely mangled, trapping two passengers inside.
Passers by quickly alerted the Mapusa police and fire department.
Fire personnel used hydraulic tools to extricate the trapped individuals.
All seven victims were initially taken to North District Hospital, Mapusa, before three of them were referred to GMC.
The container truck involved in the accident was parked along the highway near the Bandekar petrol pump, allegedly without proper caution signs.
The driver of the truck fled the scene immediately after the collision, failing to assist the victims.
Eyewitnesses and police officials noted that the car driver likely failed to notice the stationary truck in the dim light, leading to the collision.
The injured tourists were on their way back to Maharashtra after spending time in Goa.
The Mapusa police have registered a case and launched a search for the absconding truck driver.
