Driver killed as speeding car jumps divider, crashes into taxi

19-year-old college student booked after crashing into taxi, killing driver and injuring 3. Accused, Mayank Raniwala, also severely injured and in ICU.

MUMBAI: A 19-year-old college student was booked by the Vakola police for allegedly dashing into a taxi on Wednesday, resulting in the death of the driver and leaving three people injured. The accused, Mayank Raniwala, is also severely injured and is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The death toll due to the suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Punjab’s Sangrur district climbed to 20 with six more people succumbing on Saturday. (Representational photo)

According to the statement of eyewitness Abdul Sheikh, the incident occurred between 3.30 am and 3.50 am on Wednesday. Vivek Mishra, 35, with a passenger in his cab, was driving towards Lower Parel when Raniwala was speeding in his Ertiga from the other direction.

“The driver of the car seemed to have lost control over the vehicle. He first dashed into a road divider, crossed the divider to the other side, and bumped into the taxi ahead of me. The car was at such high speed that it didn’t stop despite crashing into the other taxi,” Sheikh told the police. He added that the Ertiga turned turtle, hurtled towards his cab and damaged the front portion of the cab.

When Sheikh and his passenger came out to check on the passengers of the two cars, they saw that the drivers of both were severely injured while the passengers also sustained injuries as well. Police said the traffic on both sides came to a standstill after the accident.

The police soon reached the spot and took the injured to a hospital. Mishra was declared dead on arrival in the hospital. Raniwala himself was wheeled into the ICU.

“The three other people in Raniwala’s car were his friends. Two of them were minors. They had sustained superficial injuries. They told us they had all gone to have some pizza and were on their way home when the accident took place,” said an official from Vakola police. They also told the police they had not been drinking.

Police said the blood reports at the hospital also indicated that Raniwala did not have any alcohol content in his blood.

He was booked under sections 304 A (causing death by negligence), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (rash or negligent act that endangers human life and personal safety of others) and 297 (rash and negligent driving) of the Indian Penal Code.