Four men were killed and three others injured after an SUV carrying seven friends crashed on the Karad flyover along the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway 48 on Tuesday night, according to information from Satara Police. The group was returning to their village in Satara district after visiting the Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur for Dasara.
The crash occurred at around 11 pm when the SUV reportedly struck a truck on the flyover. It then hit the structure’s concrete railings and overturned, coming to a halt after rolling over. Four occupants died in the accident, while three others were injured and taken for treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Tejas Deshmukh, Sagar Nimbalkar, Suyesh Chinchkar and Rohit Dhotre. The injured were identified as Ruturaj Dubale, Shantanu Shingade and Aman Tamboli. All seven were friends from the same village in Satara district.
Police are investigating the circumstances that led to the collision. Further details about the cause of the accident were awaited in the report. The available information does not establish whether factors such as vehicle speed, visibility, road conditions or the movement of the truck contributed to the crash.
The accident has also brought attention to the Karad flyover, which was opened to traffic barely four months ago. The structure is located on a busy stretch of NH 48 used by local commuters as well as long-distance vehicles travelling between Pune, Bengaluru and other destinations.
The crash adds to the safety responsibilities associated with recently opened highway infrastructure, where road geometry, barriers, signage, lighting and traffic movement all form part of the operating environment. However, the police investigation will need to establish the specific sequence of events before any conclusion can be drawn about the flyover’s design or condition.
Police were continuing their investigation into the collision. Further information on the cause of the crash and the condition of the injured was awaited.
