Pune: A 35-year-old scooter rider, who had stopped at a traffic signal under the Navale bridge on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass, was killed after a truck hit his two-wheeler and another six vehicles around 7am on Friday.The Narhe police identified the deceased as Ashfaq Chaudhari, a resident of Kondhwa. Chaudhari, who worked as a private bus driver, was on his way to work when the accident occurred.The collision led to significant traffic snarls on the bypass. “The accident-hit vehicles blocked one lane. However, two lanes remained open for traffic until our teams were able to shift the damaged vehicles,” inspector Sunil Gawali (traffic) told TOI.Senior police inspector Asaram Shete of the Narhe police stated that the truck was heading towards Chandni Chowk when the driver lost control. “The driver claimed there was a technical issue with the truck’s brakes. This was compounded by the steep descent on the bypass leading down to Navale bridge,” Shete said.According to the officer, the driver claimed he tried to avoid several vehicles while descending the slope. However, upon reaching the signal, the truck slammed into a private bus that was waiting for the light to change. “The truck then veered toward the side margin of the road and struck Chaudhari’s scooter, which was also stopped at the signal,” the officer added.The force of the impact caused the bus to crash into four cars and an autorickshaw. While all six vehicles sustained damage, police confirmed that no one inside them was injured.The truck driver, a native of Bidar in Karnataka, initially fled the scene but later surrendered to the police. He has been charged under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 281 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant sections of the Motor Vehicle Act.The stretch has seen several accidents in the recent years despite several measures implemented by the authorities to curb accidents. Following a fatal accident in Nov 2025, officials have mandated stricter traffic controls, engineering improvements, and improved emergency response on this notorious stretch.The maximum permissible speed on the Katraj Bypass, specifically between Bhumkar Bridge and Navale Bridge, has been reduced to 40 kmph, effective from Dec 4, last year. The number of speed guns has been increased from 3 to 6.New speed camera gantries are being installed between the new Katraj tunnel and Navale Bridge to automatically detect speeding. High-quality 20mm-high rumble strips and cat-eyes are being installed, particularly on the downhill slope towards Navale Bridge to force vehicles to slow down.
