Mumbai: 60-year-old hits accelerator instead of brakes, injures 6

Six people injured when the Driver Shabbir Master (60) lost control over his car at Vikhroli in Mumbai on on 03/10/2016 Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar

A 60-year old man, who stepped on the accelerator instead of hitting the brakes, knocked down six people including a pregnant on Monday night. One person has fractures in both legs. Shabbir Master was on his way home in Vikhroli's Kannamwar Nagar in his Hundai Getz when the accident took place. Master has been arrested by the Vikhroli police.

The incident happened around 10pm while Master and his family were in Kannamwar Nagar 2. As he entered the narrow lane leading to his building, an autorikshaw ahead of him slowed down. Master, thought he was applying the brakes but stepped on the accelerator instead, and the car crashed into the auto. From the impact, the auto crashed into a nearby vada pav stall, where a man was standing and then crashed into five others including two women, one of whom is pregnant, the police said.

The car hit an auto which in turn hit the shed nearby and overturned. Spot pix

A police officer from Vikhroli police said, "Two women aged 32 and 38 were injured. One of them is three months pregnant. She did not sustain any internal injuries but passers-by took her to a nearby private hospital where she was given primary treatment and sent home. Four men were also injured, one of whom has fractured both legs. They were taken to Rajawadi hospital. The car driver too sustained injuries to his face."

The police have recorded the statements of the witnesses and the injured. Shashikant Nalawade, 43, who was injured in the accident, said, "I had no idea what happened, because it was all so sudden. All I could hear was loud screams and then the car knocked me down."

The others injured have been identified as Lakshamn Khandekar, 38, Shiram Pardhi, 60, Vaishali Pantge, 32, Nutan Nalawade, 38, Narayan Gaikwad, 36, and the driver of the car, Shabbir Master.

Inspector Sudhir Nigutkar of the Vikhroli police said, "We have arrested the driver of the car and he too has sustained injuries on his face in the accident."