After the infamous Porsche accident in May last year, another drunk-driving case has stung Pune.
As many as 12 people, including students, were injured after a car crashed into them in the Sadashiv Peth area on Saturday evening, NDTV quoted the police as saying.
What went down
A few students appearing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams were gathered around a tea stall near Bhave School when the car hit them, senior inspector Vijaymala Pawar of Vishrambag police station told NDTV. The incident took place around 5.45pm, as reported by PTI.
Inspector Pawar told local media outlets that the car struck several vehicles and pedestrians before ramming into the tea stall.
According to the police, a man who was reportedly drunk had wreaked havoc by being at the wheel.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Nikhil Pingale, stated that as per preliminary investigation, the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
Of the twelve injured, a girl and four others suffered serious leg injuries. All of them were promptly taken to Sancheti and Modak hospitals for treatment, according to police officials quoted by local media.
A co-passenger was present in the vehicle during the incident. Police have taken both the driver and the passenger into custody. An FIR has been filed at Vishrambaug Police Station, and legal proceedings are on.
Soon, the CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media.
“A drunkard has ruined a student's life,” a netizen posted on X. One even called the accident “a nightmarish crash”.
Sharing the video, one user wrote, “I say pass a general order cancelling every driving license of Punekar (including mine) and we should first have a mental test, psychological evaluation, strict stringent driving test and then new license.
I am ok with it.”
Earlier in May, a speeding Mercedes crashed into a motorcycle rider, claiming his life. The incident took place on the Wadgaon Bridge stretch of the Pune–Bengaluru highway. Police said all four people in the car, including the driver, were intoxicated at the time of the accident.
This incident serves as a grim reminder of the deadly consequences of drunk driving, much like the Porsche crash in Kalyani Nagar last May that had jolted the city.