Four other occupants sustain serious injuries
Ponda: A group of five youths returning home in a car after a business-related trip to Maharashtra met with an accident barely 500 metres from their destination, leaving one dead and four others seriously injured in the early hours of Sunday.
The accident occurred around 1 am on the Ponda-Panaji highway on the flyover near the Kadamba bus stand at Shapur, Ponda, when the speeding car reportedly lost control, crashed through the flyover barrier and plunged nearly six metres onto the highway below.
Pradeep Gowda (28), a resident of Haveli Curti, Ponda, died on the spot. The other four occupants – Arbaaz Sandhi (30), Adnan Sandhi (20), Imran Shaikh (48), the car driver, and Aftab Sandhi (25), all residents of Naga Masjid, Ponda – sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a hospital.
The accident left the vehicle badly mangled, trapping some of the occupants inside. On receiving information, personnel from the Ponda fire brigade, emergency services and local residents rushed to the spot.
The firefighters had to cut open portions of the wrecked vehicle to rescue the trapped passengers before shifting them for medical treatment.
According to the information available, one of the injured is reported to be out of danger, while another has undergone a successful surgery. Two others have been shifted to ICU and their condition is reported to be critical. Further details about their medical condition are awaited.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the car was travelling towards Ponda from Panaji and as the driver approached the flyover, the vehicle reportedly lost control at a sharp diversion, struck divider and a metal signboard before crashing through the barricade and plunging onto the road below.
The sharp diversion on the Ponda-Panaji highway has once again come under scrutiny following the tragedy. The transition in the four-laning section and the sudden turn at the flyover can be confusing for motorists, particularly at night.
Ponda police are investigating the circumstances that led to the crash. The exact cause, including the role of the car speed, road layout and other factors, will be established during the probe.
The tragedy has left the family of Gowda devastated. Gowda was working as an electricity line helper for a contractor and is survived by his father, mother and younger brother.
The other occupants of the car are reportedly engaged in business activities. The group had travelled to Maharashtra in connection with business and was returning to Ponda when the tragedy struck.
