This Article is From Dec 10, 2013

Mumbai: 2 die in as many accidents in a fortnight on posh Peddar Road

Mumbai: 2 die in as many accidents in a fortnight on posh Peddar Road

In both cases, speeding and reckless driving were to blame.

Mumbai: Peddar Road, home to some of the richest people in Mumbai, is in news for two road accidents in a fortnight. In both cases, speeding and reckless driving were to blame.

Municipal corporation workers Prakash Parmar and Laxmiben Makwana were knocked down by a speeding car driven by businessman Akshay Bajaj, who was arrested and released on bail. The dependents in the families of the two workers are devastated and angry over the lack of sympathy for the accident victims.

"Not even a single passer-by stopped to help my father. There were two people there who told us that there were three girls jogging who noticed how bad their condition was and came forward to help but nobody supported them," Mr Parmar's daughter Jignasha told NDTV.

While Laxmiben's daughter said, "What is it to these rich people? They cause accidents and just flee. So many people are now without support but of course any of this won't matter to him. The poor have to take care of themselves."

On early Sunday morning, a speeding Aston Martin belonging to Reliance Ports rammed into two vehicles causing a pile up. The impact of the collision was so strong that the cars were dragged all the way up to a signal 50 metres away. Luckily, no one was killed.

With two major accidents in a fortnight, Peddar Road is on its way to becoming the most unsafe stretch in the city.

While a driver of the Reliance Group owned up, he has not been arrested yet. Sources say an arrest will happen only after investigations establish that the driver was indeed driving the car. The police also need to know why a professional was driving so recklessly.

In a statement, the Reliance Group said, "The car is owned by Reliance Ports and was being driven by one of our drivers who was going to park it. We will co-operate with the police investigation. The Police have recorded the driver's statement."

According to conservative estimates, 600 people die every year on Mumbai roads. More than 90% of these accidents are caused by reckless drivers.

But as the Maximum City moves on, most victims are left to fend for themselves.
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