PANAJI: In a dramatic chase, Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar pursued and helped nab a taxi driver who allegedly fled after a fatal hit-and-run near Dabolim Airport yesterday evening.
According to police, the accident occurred around 6.15 pm on the Port Road stretch outside the airport. A four-wheeler driven by 30-year-old Sachin Chopda, a native of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly struck a 60-year-old woman, Siddamma Madar, a resident of Mangor Hill. The impact was severe, throwing the victim onto the road. She was rushed to Chicalim hospital, where she was declared dead.
Amonkar, who was passing through the area at the time, said the speeding car had overtaken him moments before the accident. On reaching the spot, he saw the woman lying motionless on the road.
“I stopped, asked people nearby to assist her, and immediately went after the vehicle,” Amonkar said, describing the sequence of events.
What followed was a high-speed chase across multiple stretches. Amonkar said he tried to intercept the car twice, but the driver managed to evade him and continued speeding towards Vasco.
During the pursuit, the MLA alerted police officials across jurisdictions, including the Airport, Vasco, and Mormugao police stations, and also requested an ambulance for the victim.
The chase ended near the Mormugao Port Trust area, where the driver, unfamiliar with local roads, ran into a dead end due to barricades. Amonkar managed to block the vehicle and detained the driver until police arrived.
“He fled the scene instead of stopping. That’s what made me chase him,” Amonkar said, adding that he acted purely on humanitarian grounds.
Police confirmed that the accused was taken into custody and an offence has been registered. South Goa SP Gurudas Kadam said the driver was new to the area and had taken the port road, leading him into the MPT stretch where he was eventually caught.
“The MLA assisted the police and did a commendable job,” Kadam said. Further investigation is underway.
