A driver died and two women were injured after an Ertiga car crashed and overturned on the Pune-Solapur Highway near Harna Complex in Uruli Kanchan on Wednesday morning, according to a police complaint reported by Sakal. The incident occurred within the limits of the Uruli Kanchan gram panchayat area after the driver reportedly suffered a heart attack while driving.
The deceased driver was identified as Pramod Prakash Mahant, 30, a resident of Jeur in Akkalkot taluka of Solapur district. The two injured passengers were identified as Mangal Sharad Dharak, 42, of Shindawane in Haveli taluka, and Surekha Nandkumar Kamble, 41, who lives near Shivkrupa Market in Uruli Kanchan.
According to the report, Dharak and Kamble had reached Talawadi Chowk in Uruli Kanchan to travel to work at a private company in Bhandgaon, in Daund taluka. They boarded the Ertiga, bearing registration number MH 12 YB 3789, and the vehicle began moving along the highway.
The police account stated that Mahant suddenly placed his head on the steering wheel. The vehicle then lost control, struck an iron pole on the left side of the highway and overturned before coming to rest upright again. The complaint stated that the loss of control after the driver’s medical emergency led to the crash.
Following the accident, ambulance drivers Santosh Zhombade and Mauli Lad of Kasturi Pratishthan reached the spot. They took both injured women and Mahant to Shri Siddhivinayak Hospital in Uruli Kanchan for treatment.
Doctors at the hospital said Mahant had died before treatment could begin. Dharak suffered injuries to her head and eye and was undergoing treatment at the hospital, while the report did not provide further details about Kamble’s injuries.
The incident highlights the risks that can emerge on a busy highway when a driver becomes incapacitated without warning. In this case, the vehicle struck roadside infrastructure before overturning, while the two passengers required assistance from local ambulance personnel.
Kamble filed a complaint at the Uruli Kanchan police station. Police constable Uddhav Gaikwad is conducting the further investigation into the crash and the circumstances surrounding the driver’s death.
