A 47-year-old helmetless rider lost his life after being run over by a speeding luxury bus in Wadala on Thursday evening. The RAK Marg police have arrested the bus driver.
According to police officials, the accident occurred at around 6.45 p.m. on Thursday on the RAK Marg. The police said that Shrinivas Devadiga (47), a resident of Grant Road, was riding his Honda Activa when he was run over by the bus.
“Based on eyewitness accounts, we have gathered that the bus was trying to overtake the Activa at high speed when it ended up hitting the scooter. Devadiga was not wearing a helmet and sustained serious injuries to his head. He died due to excessive loss of blood, senior police inspector Bhagwat Bansod, RAK Marg police station said.
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Devadiga was rushed to Sion Hospital where he was declared dead before admission.
The bus driver has been charged with causing death due to rash and negligent driving under the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act. The RAK Marg police subsequently detained Sukhdev Gaikwad, the driver of the bus. After conducting preliminary inquiries and medical tests, Mr. Gaikwad was arrested and charged with causing death due to rash and negligent driving under the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act.
Mr. Bansod said that the absence of a helmet contributed to the seriousness of Devadiga's injuries, and that he might have survived had he been wearing one.
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The issue of helmetless riding has been for long on the list of priorities for the Mumbai Police as well as the Mumbai Traffic Police. Around three years ago, the city police, too, were authorised to penalise two-wheeler riders for riding without helmets as well as for other traffic rules violations in order to curb the rising number of casualties and fatalities in road accidents. Earlier this year, the city police were also provided with e-challan machines so that the entire system could be brought under a single umbrella.