A 72-year-old man crashed his Hyundai Santro into four bikes before colliding with a parked vehicle in Kolhapur district in Maharashtra on Monday.
Three people died and six others were injured in the road accident, that occurred at Cyber Chowk. The driver of the Santro and a retired Pro Vice-Chancellor of Shivaji University Kolhapur, Vasant M Chavan, were among those dead. The horrific incident was captured on CCTV.
According to IANS, the accident occurred when Chavan's speeding car hit at least three motorcycles at Cyber Chowk around 2:30 p.m. on Monday. Officials believe Chavan, who was 72 and possibly unwell, lost control of his car, which was travelling from Rajarampuri Road, causing the crash at the busy intersection.
Witnesses and CCTV footage revealed that the other two victims were thrown several meters into the air before landing fatally. The collision was so severe that Chavan died in his vehicle as it subsequently rammed into another stationary vehicle, just two days after his 72nd birthday.
The accident injured at least three to four people damaged several vehicles, knocked over traffic barricades, and partially damaged a traffic signal. The injured were taken to C.T. Hospital and C.P.R. Hospital, where their condition was reported as 'serious'.
It has been reported that the driver involved in the accident, was unwell. Police are questioning his relatives and investigating whether he had any underlying health conditions.
One of Kolhapur's main thoroughfares, the Cyber Chowk is flanked on one side by Rajaram College and Shivaji University Kolhapur, and on the other by a number of other public and private educational establishments.
Chavan had been affiliated with IIM-Ahmedabad, served as a former college principal, and was the former Director of Bharatiya Vidyapeeth’s institutions in Kolhapur and Delhi. He was Pro-VC of SUK from April 2001 to March 2004.