PANAJI: A 25-year-old labourer, Amit Yadav, lost his life, while two others were seriously injured after being hit by a car on the old Mandovi Bridge in Panaji in the wee hours of Thursday. Yadav, a native of Uttar Pradesh, and his colleagues were engaged in road repair work using a jet patcher machine when the accident occurred. He was rushed to Goa Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Eyewitnesses reported that the car driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. According to their accounts, the driver not only threatened bystanders who tried to record the scene but also had liquor cans inside his vehicle.
Witnesses stated that one of the workers suffered a head injury, while the other two sustained severe leg injuries.
The driver has been referred for a medical examination. In connection with the incident, an offence has been registered under Crime No. 115/2024. The charges include violations under Sections 281, 105, 125(a), and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, and Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, said SP North.
This incident brings back chilling memories of a similar accident that occurred in July 2022, when an SUV, driven by an intoxicated driver, skidded off the Zuari Bridge and into the river claiming the lives of all four passengers. The forensic report later confirmed the presence of alcohol in the driver's bloodstream.
In August 2023, a speeding Mercedes SUV crashed into multiple vehicles on the Banastarim Bridge, killing three and injuring six others. The driver, suspected to be intoxicated, fled the scene, leaving behind devastation and grief.
