A 30-year-old driver died after apparently suffering a heart attack while driving on the Pune-Solapur Highway near Uruli Kanchan on Wednesday morning, causing the car to hit an electricity pole and overturn. Two women travelling in the vehicle were injured in the crash.
The deceased was identified as Pramod Prakash Mahant, a resident of Akkalkot in Solapur district. Police said the women, who work at a private company in Daund taluka, had taken a lift from Mahant after travelling to Uruli Kanchan. They regularly commute using public transport or by accepting lifts from motorists, according to the police account reported by Punekar News.
The crash occurred at around 7 am while the vehicle was travelling along the highway. One of the women, aged 41, told police that Mahant had asked whether there was a pharmacy nearby because he wanted to purchase tablets. A short while later, she noticed that his head had drooped over the steering wheel.
The car then veered towards the left side of the road, struck an electricity pole and overturned before coming to rest on its wheels. Local residents rushed all three occupants to a nearby hospital. Doctors declared Mahant dead after the vehicle reached the facility.
Police suspect that Mahant suffered a heart attack while driving, but the source report does not provide a final medical finding. The other passenger suffered head injuries and required 17 stitches, police said. The condition of the woman who lodged the complaint was not detailed in the report.
The incident also highlights the risks faced by workers travelling between settlements and employment centres along the highway corridor. The two women were travelling to work in Daund taluka and had relied on a lift after reaching Uruli Kanchan, according to police. Their account places informal ride-sharing alongside public transport as part of the daily mobility options available to some commuters in the area.
The Uruli Kanchan police have registered a case related to causing death by negligence. The case follows the vehicle crash and the death of Mahant, while the suspected medical emergency remains subject to further investigation. Police had not released additional details about the case at the time of publication.
