Three friends were killed after the Toyota Fortuner they were travelling in hit a divider and plunged off a flyover on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Kota while returning to Pune from a trip to Ladakh.
According to police, 10 friends were returning to Pune from Ladakh in three separate vehicles. Two of the cars had halted for a break, while the Fortuner, carrying Siddhant, Mathuresh Padale, and Kunal, continued ahead.
Driver May Have Dozed Off, Say Police
Police suspect the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to hit a divider between Karadia and Balapura before veering off the flyover and falling into a large, dry sewer.
Vehicle ‘Completely Mangled’ After Impact
Kaithun Station House Officer Manoj Singh Sikarwar said, “The driver lost control of the SUV and it fell off the flyover. The impact was so severe that the vehicle was completely mangled,” he said.
Locals Help Retrieve Bodies
Locals and passersby rushed to the spot and, with difficulty, managed to pull out the bodies from the wreckage.
Bodies Sent To Mortuary, Families Informed
Officials said the bodies have been shifted to the mortuary at Kaithun hospital, and the victims’ families have been informed.