Mumbai: Speeding car kills walker in Marine Drive hit-and-run

When Jain was crossing the road after parking his bike at B D Somani Chowk, a speeding car hit him and fled from the spot

A speeding car ran over a jogger at Marine Drive on Sunday morning, killing him. The deceased, identified as Ashwin Jain, 55, was a textile businessman. While the police have not named or found any accused, they have registered a case.

Jain, a resident of south Mumbai, had gone to Marine Drive for his daily run. However, on Sunday, when he was crossing the road after parking his bike at B D Somani Chowk, a speeding car hit him and fled from the spot.

An eyewitness said deputy commissioner of police Shivdeep Lande was at the spot when the incident occurred and rushed to help Jain. Speaking to mid-day Lande said, "On Sunday, I heard a loud noise while I was running. When I turned, I saw people had gathered around a person who lay in a pool of blood. With the help of some people, I immediately put him inside a taxi. In the meantime, local police personnel came and began doing their work."

Left him bleeding
One of Jain's relatives, Dilip Jain, said, "Police told us that the speeding car had a few people inside. When Ashwin was crossing the road after parking his bike, the red-coloured car hit him and left him bleeding on the road."

After that, Marine Drive cops rushed Jain to the GT hospital, but he'd lost a lot of blood in the accident, and succumbed to his injuries. His son Meerul, 32, told mid-day, "Cops called us around 7 am, and asked us to visit the hospital. Once we reached there, we got to know about the accident. My father used to go to Marine Drive every day for a morning walk and was a very fit person." Jain's childhood friend Hasmukh Solanki said, "Most people speed on Marine Drive, which makes an accident-prone spot. A group of five to six people were in the car that ran over my friend." The speeding Solanki speaks about is also a sport for some on the promenade, with several vehicles racing along the stretch, leaving onlookers and residents of the area peeved.

Case registered
Senior inspector at Marine Drive police station Vilas Gangavni said, "We've registered an offence against an unknown person under sections 279, 338 and 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code, and section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act. We're scanning CCTV camera footage to identify the car that dashed into Jain. We have got the number of a car that could possibly be the accused's car or that of someone with him. If anyone has seen the car or its driver, they can contact the police. I appeal to people to maintain the speed of their car while driving in areas with a lot of pedestrians."

Taxi driver held for hit-and-run
A taxi driver identified as Tejpal Singh, 45, was arrested on Saturday evening for running over a bicycle rider near INS Kunjali. The incident had occurred on August 28, when the victim was on his way to a smart card office. Singh's taxi hit him from behind and fled. Onlookers moved him to the INS Ashwini hospital for treatment, where he's currently recuperating. Cops scanned CCTV footage of the area and got the number of the taxi, after which Singh, a Colaba resident, was held.

Also Read: Mumbai: Indian Navy sailors save man from drowning at Marine Drive

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates