Mangled remains of the car in which the deceased couple and their children were travelling. Pic/Hanif Patel

A Pune-based couple died and their children were left critically injured when a four-wheeler coming from the opposite direction on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway hit the car in which the family was travelling, near Palghar district on Monday afternoon. According to the Palghar district police, the driver of the other car lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a cow crossing the road and collided head on with the other vehicle.