17-05-2025
Chembur resident crashes rented BMW into dumper, dies
MUMBAI: A 28-year-old man driving a rented BMW died in the early hours on Friday after his car crashed into a dumper on the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also known the Atal Setu. The deceased was driving at a speed of around 160 kilometre per hour (kmph) and the impact of the collision burst the dumper's tyre and sent it crashing into the guardrail, said police. The BMW was crushed beyond recognition and its driver, 28-year-old Punit Singh Devendra Singh Machra, died on the spot due to serious head injuries, the police added.
According to the Sewri police, Machra was the son of a real estate broker. He lived in Gurukrupa Terrace near Basant Park in Chembur and assisted his father in the business, along with his younger brother. On Thursday, he left home at around 9pm for a party in south Mumbai, in a BMW he had rented from a car rental platform.
When he left the party around 2am on Friday, he took the Atal Setu and proceeded towards Navi Mumbai instead of heading to his residence in Chembur, said Rohit Khot, senior police inspector, Sewri police station.
'Perhaps, he had wanted to go on a joy ride up to Ulwe and return to Chembur,' said Khot.
Machra had travelled around 8.1km on the northbound lane of Atal Setu and was driving at around 160 kmph when he crashed into the dumper headed towards Panvel.
'The impact of the tail-end crash was so severe that a tyre of the dumper burst and the heavy vehicle crashed into the guardrail,' said Khot. 'Fortunately, it didn't fall into the sea and its driver, Ankit Vishwaskarma, escaped with minor injuries.'
Machra was likely drunk when the accident occurred, said Khot. He was rushed to MGM Hospital in Vashi in an ambulance after the police was informed about the accident, said Deepali Dhate, deputy commissioner of police (port zone).
'At the hospital, he was declared dead on arrival,' said Dhate. 'We collected his blood sample and have sent it for analysis to check if he was drunk.'
Machra was later booked under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 125 (a) (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
