7-year-old boy killed after bike hits pothole, run over by truck in Palghar

The police said that restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles into Thane city since Friday night led to the diversion of traffic via the Parol–Bhiwandi route. This has significantly increased the movement of heavy vehicles on the narrow, pothole-ridden stretch, resulting in congestion and a rise in accidents

MUMBAI: A seven-year-old boy was killed after falling off a two-wheeler that hit a pothole and was subsequently run over by a heavy vehicle on the Parol–Shirsad–Ambadi road in Palghar district on Saturday evening.

7-year-old boy killed after bike hits pothole, run over by truck in Palghar

According to the police, the incident occurred at 4.45 pm on Saturday when the boy, Harsh Thori, his parents and his sister left their home in Achole, Nalasopara, on a two-wheeler to visit the Vajreshwari temple in Vasai. When they reached Usgaon on the Parol–Shirsad–Ambadi road in Palghar, their motorcycle hit a pothole and skidded, throwing all four of them onto the road.

“After the child fell on the road, a speeding heavy vehicle ran over him, causing his death on the spot,” senior police inspector Ranjit Andhale said, adding that his parents and sister sustained minor injuries.

Subsequently, the police registered a case against the truck driver for causing death due to negligence under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The vehicle has been seized and the driver arrested, the officer said.

The police said that restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles into Thane city since Friday night led to the diversion of traffic via the Parol–Bhiwandi route. This has significantly increased the movement of heavy vehicles on the narrow, pothole-ridden stretch, resulting in congestion and a rise in accidents. “Two-wheelers often attempt to overtake heavy vehicles on this road, which increases the risk of accidents,” said a police officer.