19 August,2016 07:47 AM IST | | Asif Rizvi and Shiva Devnath
The speeding car careened out of control, slammed into dividers, flipped high in the air and crashed into a tree on the Western Express Highway (WEH), leaving no survivors
Five youngsters who were out on a nightlong joyride met a tragic end early last morning after they lost control of the vehicle, slamming into a divider on the right first, then crashing into a barrier on the left, which caused the car to flip high in the air before it went crashing into a tree. The impact completely crushed the car and the passengers inside, killing four of them on the spot, while the fifth succumbed to injuries in hospital. All five deceased were in their early 20s.
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The mangled Honda City slammed into the tree almost vertically before crashing onto the ground. Pic/Shadab Khan
Senior Inspector of Vile Parle police station Raksha Maharao said the deceased have been identified as Muzammil Kanojia (22), Rashida Sheikh (25), Junaid Sheikh (22), Dilip Solanki (21) and Afsar Ali Asgar (22). The incident took place around 5.30 am on the highway at Vile Parle, as the car was passing the domestic airport and heading towards Bandra.
At first, it was thought that Muzammil was at the wheel, since it was his uncle's car, but the police now believe his friend, Rashida may have taken the wheel just before the accident.
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Muzammil had taken the car key from his uncle Naeem Suleman around 9.30 pm, saying he was going to Andheri for dinner with his friends Junaid and Dilip. He also picked up Rashida and Afsar from their residence. Rashida took the wheel at Vile Parle, said sources. Soon after, the accident took place.
Family says
Muzammil's uncle Naeem told mid-day, "He had left the house for a drive around 9.30pm on Wednesday. When he did not answer his mother's calls, I called him and a police officer picked up and told me that he had died in an accident. All his friends were with him in the car."
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Witnesses said the Honda City car was being driven at high speed and the driver seemed to suddenly lose control. "We are awaiting reports to know whether they were driving drunk. Such was the impact that the car shot up 8-9 feet into the air, like a rocket," added the police.
