Mumbai: Driver trying to escape minor hit on Bandra-Worli sea link kills 3

The Innova car collided with six parked vehicles at the sea link’s toll plaza. Pic/Twitter

Three members of a family lost their lives, and four others were critically injured when their car collided with six vehicles on the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) on Thursday night. The driver of the Innova car, identified as Sarfaraz Khan, accidentally hit a Mercedes car on the BWSL, just 100 metres away from the toll booth. Instead of stopping, Shaikh attempted to flee the scene, and collided with an additional six parked vehicles at the sea link's toll plaza.

The deceased have been identified as Mohammed Hanif Adam Phir, 64, his wife Hawa Bibi Hanif Phir, and his mother-in-law Khatijabibi Hatia, 91. The family, residents of Diva village in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, had come to Mumbai for a darshan at Haji Ali and Mahim Dargah, as per their family members.

Mumbai: 3 dead, 6 hurt as Innova rams into multiple cars on Bandra-Worli Sea Link

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Cops and locals help rescue the injured

The Bandra police have filed an FIR against Sarfaraz Shaikh, 40, charging him with rash driving, causing death, and injuring others. "A total of seven family members travelled from Gujarat to Mumbai for darshan at Haji Ali and Mahim Dargah. They arrived in Mumbai two days ago in an Innova car. The driver, Sarfaraz, is a relative of the victims," said a relative of the victims.

Here's how the incident unfolded

"They left from Mumbai Central around 9.50 pm and reached the Bandra Worli Sea Link. They entered the sea link from Worli and when they approached the toll booth, the driver accidentally collided with a Mercedes car just before the toll booth. In an attempt to escape, the driver decided to speed away. As he reached the toll booth, he first hit a taxi, then a tempo, and finally crashed into another vehicle after jumping the divider," said a police officer.

Hanif Adam, his wife and his mother-in-law died on the spot, while the other family members sustained serious injuries and were admitted to the hospital. The injured individuals have been identified as Hashim Suleman Sadar, Hajra Samad Sadar, Bibi Yakub Sadar, Sarfaraz Mohhamad Yusuf Shaikh, Rajshri Dave, and Rakesh Vishwakarma. Sarfaraz the driver of the Innova car was also injured in the accident.

Car dented from behind

Senior Inspector Sanjay Marathe of Bandra police station stated, "We have registered an FIR against the car driver, Sarfraz Shaikh, for rash driving, negligence while driving, causing death to three people, and injuring six others in this incident. The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at the hospital. Our investigation revealed that the car driver initially hit the Mercedes car, and out of fear of getting caught, he tried to escape, resulting in multiple vehicle collisions."

Families reach hospital

The families of the three individuals were rushed to Cooper Hospital's post-mortem centre on Friday morning, as their loved ones were declared brought dead at Bhabha hospital on Thursday night. The driver of the Innova is receiving treatment at Bhabha hospital, while two have been admitted to Lilavati hospital.

One of the deceased, 66-year-old Hanif Adam, "He hails from Gujarat," said his nephew Sufiyan, the only relative looking after his uncle's body at the post-mortem centre. "His immediate family is in Canada; they have been informed," he said. Their remains will be taken back to Gujarat once the authorities release the body.

Innova car next to a taxi that it had hit

Rakesh Vishwakarma, 55, the driver of one of the cars involved in the accident, and his employer, Rajeshri Dave, are undergoing treatment at Lilavati hospital. Rakesh's nephew, Niraj Vishwakarma, said that doctors have informed the family about Rakesh's serious leg injuries, requiring surgery. "His employers are currently covering the expenses. The doctors have assured us that everything else is fine with him," Niraj said.

Lilavati hospital's Dr V Ravishankar told mid-day that the woman is on a ventilator and has sustained multiple fractures, including in her upper and lower limbs. "Her blood pressure and heart rate are normal, and we will be operating on her tomorrow," he said, adding that the driver has sustained a fracture in the long bone of his leg.

The Sadar family has taken a discharge against medical advice on Friday evening to seek further treatment in Surat. "They were on intermittent oxygen and under observation. We tried a lot to convince them to not take a discharge but they kept insisting that they do not have any relatives in Mumbai and want to head for Surat. We arranged for a cardiac ambulance for them," said a doctor from Bhabha hospital.