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Published 18:27 IST, December 10th 2024

Retired Railway Employee on Way to Photocopy Shop When BEST Bus Knocked Him Down

Vijay Gaikwad, a retired railway employee, told his family he was stepping out to get a photocopy of documents, but those were the last words he spoke to them.

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Retired Railway Employee on Way to Photocopy Shop When BEST Bus Knocked Him Down | Image: PTI

Mumbai: Seventy-year-old Vijay Gaikwad, a retired railway employee, told his family he was stepping out to get a photocopy of some documents, but those were the last words he spoke to them. 

Gaikwad, who had recently undergone knee replacement surgery, became one of the seven fatalities in a tragic incident in Kurla (West) on Monday night. At around 9:30 pm, a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus lost control on SG Barve Road, plowing into pedestrians and vehicles in the busy area. 

Gaikwad, a resident of Brahmanwadi, Kurla (West), close to the spot where the incident occurred that left 42 others injured. 

According to a shopkeeper who witnessed the incident, Gaikwad was the first person struck by the bus before it continued to ram into other victims. The accident left 42 others injured.

Retired Railway Technician Dies in Accident

According to family members, Gaikwad had retired approximately ten years ago and was living with his wife Pramila, son Tushar, and daughter Darshana. 

Recently, Gaikwad had undergone knee replacement surgery, which had made it difficult for him to walk.

On the day of the incident, Gaikwad informed his family that he was stepping out to visit a nearby shop to get some documents photocopied. 

However, his wife later received a phone call from an unknown person using Gaikwad's number, who informed her that her husband had been admitted to Bhabha Hospital. 

The family rushed to the hospital, where they learned the details of the accident. Unfortunately, Gaikwad succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

A shopkeeper who witnessed the incident and rushed Gaikwad to the hospital recounted that the bus initially struck Gaikwad, knocking him down, and then proceeded to hit other pedestrians, vehicles, and hawkers in the area. 

Bus Driver Arrested in Mumbai

The police arrested Sanjay More, the 54-year-old driver of the BEST bus, on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and attempted culpable homicide. 

More was produced before a magistrate’s court and has been remanded in police custody until December 21 for further investigation.

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Updated 18:27 IST, December 10th 2024