Mumbai Crime: Vasai man cheats death after speeding car runs him over

The motorist first hits the couple, flings Sikandar Ali Meer seven to eight feet in the air

Can a hit-and-run really be called an 'accident' when the driver plows into the same person thrice after knocking him down while driving on the wrong side?

The Tulinj police are on the lookout for a motorist who crashed into a couple in Vasai, first flinging a man into the air, and then running over him - twice - before speeding away. Miraculously, the victims, Sikandar Ali Meer, 44, and his wife Salma, 35, survived the mishap, but are currently in a serious condition.

When Sikandar fall on the road, the driver is once again seen running him over multiple times before making a getaway from the spot

Sikandar and his wife Salma were returning from their usual morning walk at 6 am on Friday, when they were mowed down by a car speeding from the wrong direction. CCTV grabs from just seconds before show the couple outside their society, Evershine City in Vasai East. They had just a couple of seconds' warning, as the glare of the car's headlights washed over them, followed by the vehicle itself.

CCTV footage available with
mid-day shows how the Swift Desire first dashed into the couple. Sikander was hurled nearly eight feet into the air, while his wife fell to the side. The driver stopped for a second, but panicked and accelerated, once again ploughing into Sikandar, who had fallen to the ground by this time.

CCTV grabs show the couple outside their society blinded by the headlights of the car speeding towards them

The driver reversed his car and paused again, but as passers-by ran to Sikandar's aid, the accused lost his nerve and ran over Sikander a second time in his haste to escape.

Intentional or panic-induced?
The whole incident was captured by a CCTV camera installed outside a fitness centre at the spot. Sources said that from the footage, it looked like the hit-and-run was intentional.

The motorist ploughed into the couple, and Sikandar Ali Meer suffered the worst of the impact

"That early in the morning, the entire road was vacant, and the couple was walking on the roadside. It was the driver who approached them from the wrong side of the road," said an officer from Tulinj police station.

Sikandar's nephew, Hasan Ali Meer, told mid-day, "I watched the CCTV footage. It looked like the driver did it intentionally, or was drunk. After the incident, he fled the scene, but his broken number plate was found near the spot."

In a bid to flee, the driver mows Sikandar down yet again. The accused pauses for a second and reverses the car

Copspeak
The cops registered a case under Sections 279 (rash driving), 337 and 338 (causing hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC, along with the Motor Vehicles Act.

Even as passers-by rush to Sikandar's aid, the panicked driver runs over him a second time and flees the scene

Gaurav Singh, Superintendent of Police for the Palghar district, said, "If the investigation reveals it was intentional, we will add Section 307 [Attempt to murder] in the FIR."

"We found a broken number plate at the accident spot. We are checking RTO records to track down the accused," said an officer from Vasai police station.

Victims' status
Neighbours rushed Sikandar and Salma to Alliance Hospital in Nalasopara East, where they are currently stable, but serious. Sikandar suffered multiple fractures in his ribs and shoulder, along with injuries on his leg and abdomen. Salma has injuries to her head, legs and back. Their nephew, Hasan said that while Sikandar is an architect, Salma is a former teacher. They have three children.

While Sikandar Ali Meer suffered multiple fractures in his ribs and shoulder

Along with injuries on his leg and abdomen, his wife Salma sustained injuries to her head, legs and back. The couple miraculously survived the hit-and-run, but are currently in a serious condition in hospital. Pics/Hanif Patel

Sikandar and Salma in happier times at their home in Vasai. Pic/Hanif Patel

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