PORVORIM
Barely 24 hours after opening to traffic, the Porvorim elevated corridor recorded its first fatal mishap when two persons died and two others were injured in a three-vehicle accident near the entry-exit point at Porvorim on Saturday evening.
According to Porvorim police, the accident occurred at around 6 pm when a truck (GA-07-T 0712) was entering the elevated corridor from the service road opposite the Neo Majestic Hotel. Around that moment, an Activa scooter (GA-05-M-3752) was travelling on the elevated corridor towards Panaji and was behind the truck, when a speeding Baleno car (GA-03-AF-0575) which was proceeding in the same direction first struck the scooter.
The impact was such that the scooter came under the truck and the car rammed into the rear of the truck. The scooter rider, identified as Sarvesh Nilkanth Vengurlekar (41), a private-sector salesman residing at St Cruz, Tiswadi, and originally from Satarda in Sindhudurg-Maharashtra, died on the spot.
The driver of the Baleno car, Raunak Mahendra Chari (22) a resident of Chari Waddo in Moira, a passenger, identified as Amita Salgaonkar of Siolim, and a nine-year-old girl from Siolim were also injured in the mishap and were shifted to the GMC hospital at Bambolim. Amita Rupesh Salgaonkar (38) of Bamanwada-Siolim later succumbed to injuries. After the accident, the truck driver Rajibab Badiger of Chimbel fled the scene and later surrendered before to the Porvorim police.
On receiving information about the incident, Porvorim Police Inspector Tukaram Chavan, Sub-Inspector Sitaram Malik, and a police team rushed to the spot and conducted an inquest into the incident.
The accident led to a massive traffic jam along the Mapusa-Panaji side of the flyover and the service road of the elevated corridor. Traffic was later diverted via the service road of the elevated corridor, as teams from the police and fire services were at the site to clear the wreckage and to conduct the panchanama.
Traffic movement on the elevated corridor was restored after the police removed the vehicles involved in the mishap. Porvorim police are investigating the circumstances leading to the accident, including allegations of rash and negligent driving by the driver of the Baleno car. Police have registered an offence against the driver of Baleno car under Section 106(1) and 281 of BNS. Police Inspector Tukaram Chavan is leading investigations into the case.
