25-05-2025
Two dead, several injured in multi-vehicle pile-up on Mum-Pune Expressway
NAVI MUMBAI: A woman and a teenage girl, related to each other, died in a massive pile-up on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday, when a speeding trailer lost control and caused six other vehicles to collide. The accident – involving the trailer, four cars and two buses – took place at 4:00pm near Khopoli.
The deceased were Ashwini Akshay Haldankar, 30, and Shreya Santosh Autade, 17, both residents of Ulhasnagar. They were returning from Kolhapur with five other family members in a Maruti Swift car when the accident occurred.
According to preliminary police reports, the trailer driver lost control over his vehicle, hit the divider, and triggered a chain collision involving several vehicles behind him. 'The Swift, sandwiched between the trailer and a bus, was crushed, resulting in the two fatalities,' said Deputy Superintendent of Police Vikram Kadam of the Khalapur division. 'We have booked the trailer driver for the accident and are conducting medical tests.'
The driver of the Swift, Akshay Haldankar, is in stable condition in Jakhotia Hospital in Khopoli. Four other injured passengers, including two young children, have been admitted to MGM Hospital in Panvel. One passenger is said to be in critical condition. The injured include Sarika Autade, 38, a resident of Ghatkopar; Sarika Jadhav, 9; Avnish Jadhav, 3; and Vasudha V Jadhav from Kolhapur.
'Shreya and her mother Sarika Autade had come to stay at my place for the holidays in Kolhapur. Sarika is my wife Vasudha's elder sister. They were returning to Mumbai as Shreya had to take admission for Class XI. She had secured 95% in the tenth standard board exam and wanted to become a doctor,' said Vasudha's husband, Vijay Jadhav, 41.
'Sarika and Avnish are my kids and their condition is stable. However, my sister-in-law Sarika was stated by the doctors at MGM to have injured her hips. My wife is being given oxygen to help her breathe. The car was being driven by Akshay Haldankar, a relative of mine, and he has suffered minor head injuries. He was to drop off his wife and daughter and return to Kolhapur,' added Jadhav.
