The Karad flyover accident on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway 48 killed four young men and injured three others after the SUV carrying them crashed into a truck, struck the flyover’s concrete railings and overturned on Tuesday night.
The accident took place at around 11 pm on the Karad flyover, according to information from Satara Police. The seven occupants were friends from the same village in Satara district and were returning home after visiting the Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur for Dasara.
The deceased have been identified as Tejas Deshmukh, Sagar Nimbalkar, Suyesh Chinchkar and Rohit Dhotre. The injured occupants were identified as Ruturaj Dubale, Shantanu Shingade and Aman Tamboli.
According to the report, the SUV first struck a truck before crashing into the flyover’s concrete railings and overturning. The vehicle came to a halt after rolling over, leaving four occupants dead and three injured. The report did not provide details about the truck, its driver or whether any other vehicle was involved beyond the initial collision described by police.
The injured passengers were taken for medical treatment, although the supplied police information does not specify the hospital or provide details about their conditions. The crash occurred on a busy stretch of NH 48 used by daily commuters as well as long-distance traffic travelling between Pune, Bengaluru and intervening towns.
The identities of the four deceased and three injured were released as police began investigating the circumstances that led to the collision. Further details about the cause of the crash, including the sequence of events before the SUV hit the truck, were awaited.
The incident has also brought attention to the flyover’s recent opening. The structure was opened to traffic barely four months before the crash, according to the report. However, the available information does not establish whether the flyover’s design, road surface, lighting, traffic management or any other infrastructure feature contributed to the accident.
The crash highlights the risks faced on high-volume national highway stretches where local and long-distance traffic share the same corridor. Establishing responsibility will depend on the police investigation and any technical assessment of the vehicles, roadway and flyover. Satara Police are continuing to investigate the incident, with further information expected on the collision and the condition of the injured passengers.
