Scooter hits pothole, man run over by tanker in Palghar

Palghar, Sep 23 (PTI ) A 55-year-old man died after his scooter slipped into a pothole and he was run over by a tanker in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 11 am on Monday near the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Virar area.

The victim, identified as Pratap Naik, was heading towards Virar Phata when his vehicle slipped into a pothole.

Losing balance, Naik fell onto the road, and in a matter of seconds, a tanker following close behind ran over him. The man died on the spot, a Virar police official said.

The body was sent for postmortem to a government hospital in Virar.

Locals rushed to the accident site and expressed anger at the authorities, blaming the pothole-ridden stretch of road for the tragedy.

"Every year during the monsoon, the same story repeats. Roads are dug up, filled haphazardly, and left unattended. Today it has cost a life," one resident said.

The incident also disrupted traffic near the RTO for some time as crowds gathered in protest, demanding immediate action to repair potholes and hold contractors accountable, according to local police.

Many pointed out that despite repeated complaints, civic authorities have failed to implement lasting solutions.

The police have taken possession of the tanker and initiated an investigation, the official said.

They have registered a case against its driver under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicles Act and detained him, he added. PTI COR GK