An 11-year-old boy was killed in a motorcycle accident on Monday evening in the Hinjewadi area of Pune. The boy was riding with his father and sister when their motorcycle skidded on a damaged section of the Nande-Mhalunge Road. He fell off the motorcycle and was subsequently struck by a truck. Emergency services transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead by doctors. The incident has sparked outrage among residents and daily commuters in the area, highlighting concerns over road safety and infrastructure maintenance.
Following the crash, comments from Shankar Mandekar, the local NCP MLA, courted further controversy. Reacting to the boy’s death, Mandekar absolved his administration of any blame. Police have registered a case against the truck driver on the basis of the complaint and are examining the CCTV footage and other evidence.
“I did not see the accident with my own eyes. But from what I heard, the child’s vehicle slipped and he fell. The road was bad and muddy, which is why the accident occurred, I personally believe this. But it often happens that whenever an accident occurs, whether the driver of the big vehicle is at fault or not, the case is always filed against him. Whether the dumper driver is at fault or not, the child was crushed under his vehicle, so a case will definitely be filed against him. This should not happen, and this is my wish. But I am helpless in this matter, what can I do? The accident was captured on CCTV. The motorcycle moved alongside the truck before it skidded while attempting to overtake the heavy vehicle from the left. The boy fell towards the truck and came under its rear wheels. Following Monday’s accident, a crowd gathered at the site, with residents questioning why traffic was being allowed to pass through a road that was under repair and had sections in poor condition.
I don’t see any failure on the part of the administration in this,” Mandekar said.
