The victims were immediately rushed to JJ Hospital, Byculla. The six persons who were declared dead before admission were Rajkumar Verma (8), Ananra Verma (35), Harkesh Verma (45), Rajshree Verma (35), Ragini Verma (18) and Asha Verma (12).
A drive from Wadala towards Mumbadevi Temple in south Mumbai took a tragic turn for two sisters and their families, when the single taxi they were travelling in crashed into a divider on the Eastern Freeway on Saturday morning, killing six occupants and seriously injuring three others.
The victims were immediately rushed to JJ Hospital, Byculla. The six persons who were declared dead before admission were Rajkumar Verma (8), Ananra Verma (35), Harkesh Verma (45), Rajshree Verma (35), Ragini Verma (18) and Asha Verma (12). Taxi driver Mangru Verma (35) was admitted for further treatment, and Vinay Verma (21) and Ravi Verma (14) suffered serious injuries.
Harkesh, his wife Rajshree, and their three children Ragini, Vinay, Ravi – all residents of Surat – had come to Mumbai to stay with Mangru, his wife Ananra, son Rajkmuar and daughter Asha at their residence in Wadala to celebrate Chatth Pooja together. Ananra and Rajshree were sisters.
Mangru, who owns a Santro taxi, drove the two families to the temple. They started their journey at 8.50 am, and the incident took place at 9.15am. Mangru was brought unconscious to the hospital, with internal head injuries.
Ravi, who survived with injuries on his head and face, said: "I was sitting ahead on my father's lap while my father and I were constantly telling mausaji (Mangru) to stop speeding the car. Despite repeated requests from everyone, he did not listen to us, and said that nothing would happen. This was the last conversation before the accident took place. One mistake of my uncle killed my parents and sister, and killed his wife and two children as well."
"The car was crushed badly because of the overloading. While a maximum of four passengers, besides the driver is permitted, there were as many as nine people in the car. Besides, the driver was speeding the car. We are still probing if the driver was under the influence of alcohol. We have sent his blood sample for testing. The bodies have been handed over to the family after post-mortem." said a senior officer of the Dongri police.
Sources said preliminary investigations indicated that Mangru may have been suffering from the effects of a hangover after a night of heavy drinking on Friday.
Recalling what had transpired, Ravi said: "The car first hit the right side of the divider when he (Mangru) lost control of the car, and then it veered and rammed into the left shoulder of the road. As soon as the car turned towards the left, my father held me tightly in order to protect me. There was blood all over the car. Somehow, I managed to get out of the car, my brother Vinay too managed to escape. I dialed 100 for help."
Vinay who managed to escape with a shoulder fracture said: "I will never forgive him (Mangru). He killed our entire family."
A senior doctor at JJ hospital, who did not wish to be named, said: "Most of the victims were overweight, and this may have compounded the problem. All of them had sustained head injuries and had a lot of blood loss. Mangru is being treated for severe head injury and is in a critical condition."
The Dongri police have registered a case against Mangru under IPC Sections 279 (Eash driving or riding on a public way), 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicle Act for speeding, rash driving and overloading the vehicle.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "accident")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}