Mumbai: Uncollected garbage helped save lives in Ghatkopar freak mishap

Grabs from CCTV footage of the cab (white) running into autorickshaws and people

For once, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) inaction actually helped prevent a bigger incident. The filth and garbage removed from a gutter and dumped by the side of the road, actually helped stop a car that had rammed into several people and other vehicles when a rickshaw driver in it accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes, last week in Ghatkopar. Seven people including a woman were severely injured when the auto driver, while trying to charge his phone in his friend's car, accidentally stepped on the accelerator.

The accident took place around 1.30 pm on September 21, when a cab driver, Santosh Yadav, parked his vehicle outside a tea shop. His friend Raju Yadav came there and took Santosh's car keys to charge his mobile. But the car started moving and Raju was unable to stop it. Two people including a woman and another auto driver were seriously injured while others received minor injuries in the incident.

Also read: Mumbai: Car rams into autorickshaw, pedestrians in Ghatkopar; 7 injured

Sapna Sangare, one of two people severely injured in the accident

The injured were identified as Rajendra Prasad Bindvay, 49; Sapna Sangare, 35; Aditya Sangare, 8; Vaishnavi Kale, 16; Jayram Yadav, 46; Shraddha Sushvirkar, 17; and Bharat Shah, 65. All are residents of Kamgar Nagar at Ghatkopar. Sapna Sangare and Rajendra Prasad Bindvay were discharged from the hospital on Monday afternoon. Santosh Yadav and Raju Yadav were released on bail.

‘I pushed my son away'

Sapna Sangare and her son Aditya were walking towards their home on the corner when the speeding car dashed into them. Sangare said, "I almost lost my child in this incident. I saw the speeding car coming towards us and pushed my son to a side but it rammed into me. I got dragged to the other side. I received injuries to my head, leg, hand and stomach. I begged people for help but they were only standing and watching. Fortunately one of my friends saw me and rushed me and my child to a hospital."

Raju Yadav, the autorickshaw driver who was in the cab when it started, was arrested but later released on bail. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

Her husband Ravindra said, "A car never starts in gear. We suspect that the auto driver was learning to drive it. We are sure that there is something that he is hiding. It's also the cab driver's fault for giving the key to a person who couldn't drive it. Our son was luckily saved because my wife pushed him aside."

‘I got dragged for 50 metres'

Rajendra Prasad Bindvay, an autorickshaw driver, had parked his vehicle at an auto stand and was waiting for passengers when the speeding car hit him and dragged him. Bind said, "I was dragged for over 50 metres. I received 5 stitches on my head and serious injuries on my body. My family is dependent on me. I thought I would not survive but the garbage saved me. The car stopped because of it and people rescued me from under the car and rushed me to the Rajawadi hospital."

"I still have a lot of pain in the head, hand and legs. I am unable to walk and have not worked for a week. The doctor has advised me rest for almost a month. The auto driver who took the car key is not telling the truth. I am sure he was trying to learn to drive the car and mistakenly put it into gear and it started. He should be punished," Bindvay further said.

Adinarayan Nayak who is physically challenged and runs a pan stall at the spot, also had a lucky escapeas the car stopped just before it. Nayak said, "I saw the speeding car and alerted people and they moved. It was too close and I escaped luckily. Many others were also saved because of the garbage that stopped the car."

PSI Shivaji Anna Dhaygude of Pant Nagar police station told mid-day, "Luckily the car stopped due to the garbage dumped on the road. Raju told us that after starting the car he started charging his mobile but suddenly the car started moving. He mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake. The car started speeding and he was trying to stop the vehicle. Raju has never driven a car. He was confused and it rammed into and injured 7 people."