Mumbai: Why this 3 km strech on the Eastern Express sees most accidents

The Godrej signal has been a 'black spot' in the traffic policemen's book for years. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

TheâÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088Godrej Signal at Vikhroli on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) is a straight stretch of roughly 2-3 km, without any curves. Yet, this stretch, a 'black spot' in the traffic police's book for years, regularly sees fatal accidents. These happen mainly in the night-time when there are no signals and speeding or sudden U-turns by vehicles end up causing serious damage. The road has no potholes or bumps, so controlling speed at night is the only way to stop accidents here, say experts.

Zeel Shah and Sagar More

Case study 1: On March 23, 2015, Zeel Yogesh Shah, 20, from Mulund (West) was in his car on his way to Marine Drive late at night with a few friends, when suddenly a dog appeared out of nowhere at the end of the Vikhroli flyover on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH). Shah crashed into the median trying to avoid the dog and died in hospital two days later. Shah was studying IT Engineering and, his devastated father said he was wearing a seatbelt at the time of accident. His friends who had suffered minor injuries had rushed him to first to Somaiya College instead and later to Sion hospital and finally to Fortis Hospital where he was treated for two days but died due to excessive blood loss, his father said.

Illustration/ Ravi Jadhav

Case study 2: A few months earlier, on June 28, 2015, Sagar More, also 20, died after his bike was knocked down by a truck, which had taken a sudden U-turn on the road. More and his friends were travelling towards Thane while the truck was travelling towards Mumbai.

More's father Chandrakant, who is an ex-army officer and was with the Mumbai police later, remembers the terrible night only too well. He said his son ate dinner at home and had wanted to go out for a spin on his Yamaha R15 bike. "The signal was off and Sagar was wearing a helmet but the truck took such a sudden turn that he crashed straight into it. Sagar died of blood loss from his serious injuries," his father said. His mother Pratibha says Chandrakant never liked the idea of Sagar riding a bike, but she had bought it for him on loan. Today, the family has lost their only son. Chandrakant has taken VRS and they live on the pension. The parents have conducted prayers at the spot so that there are no further accidents there.

Total Accidents 29
For 2017 and 2018 (till May 31)

Typed of accidents:
Accidents happen majorly due to speeding. Bikers constitute the highest number of victims, followed by motorists. Accidents also happen due to large vehicles taking sudden U-turns at Godrej signal

Total fatalities
35 Deaths
07 Seriously injured
02 Minor injuries

Source: Traffic department

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