None were wearing helmets; accused, 21-year-old student, claims he dozed off at the wheel
The Mitsubishi Lancer that had hit the bike on Sunday night (right) the motorbike on which the family of four was riding
Two people, including a 12-year-old boy, died and three were injured on Parel TT bridge when a Mitsubishi Lancer hit a bike carrying a family of four head-on at 9.45 pm on Sunday. The car also brushed past a traffic constable on a scooter, but he escaped with minor injuries. The incident occurred less than a fortnight after a man and two women died in a mishap on the bridge.
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The deceased have been identified as Sohail Shaikh, 39 and his son, Mohammad Ali Sohail Shaikh. Apart from the traffic cop, Deepak Labade, who is attached to Marine Drive’s traffic department, Sohail’s wife Asma, 35, and daughter Fatima, 4, sustained injuries. Javed Shaikh, 30, Sohail’s brother, said, “My brother was not wearing a helmet. I request everyone to wear a helmet and follow the rules to avoid such accidents. I also demand strict action against the accused for driving rashly.”
Deceased: Sohail Shaikh and his son Mohammad Ali
He added, “Some days ago, a fatal accident had occurred on the same bridge. The height of the dividers should be increased. The bridge should have functional CCTV cameras. The police have told us that there is no footage of the accident.” Shedding light on the incident, Senior PI Sanjay Mohitey of Kalachowkie police station said, “The car was coming from the north side of the bridge. It first collided with the divider and brushed past a scooter before hitting the bike. We have apprehended the car's driver, Imtiaz Shaikh, 21, a student. We suspect that he was not wearing a seat belt.”
According to Javed, Good Samaritans rushed the victims to the hospital and clicked photos that were circulated on WhatsApp to identify them. Passers-by also alerted the police. Javed said the family had gone shopping at Bhendi Bazaar and were returning home when the accident happened.
Asma Shaikh, who was injured along with her four-year-old daughter
“Fatima’s face has been grievously injured. We are scared to inform Asma about the death of her son and husband,” Javed said. Mohitey said, “Imtiaz was speeding. He claimed that he had dozed off and lost control of the vehicle. We have sent his blood samples for testing to ascertain whether he was under the influence of any intoxicant.” The accused is a student and runs a second-hand car sales business.
A police officer said, “The family of the deceased had claimed that the driver's car had been modified, but we checked and didn’t find that to be true. The court has granted the accused bail.”
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