A tragic accident occurred on the Samruddhi Highway early Thursday morning, resulting in the death of a truck driver. The incident took place at Jamwadi Shivara in Jalna district around 4:00 AM. The deceased has been identified as Gulab Kalu Ade, aged 50, a resident of Halvira Tanda in Jintur Taluka, Parbhani district.
According to preliminary reports, Gulab Ade was driving an Eicher vehicle on the Samruddhi Highway when he allegedly fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle subsequently rammed into the divider. The impact was so severe that the cabin of the vehicle was completely crushed, leaving the driver fatally trapped inside.Ade succumbed to his injuries on the spot.
Upon receiving information about the accident, the RPV (Road Patrol Vehicle) team stationed on the Samruddhi Highway rushed to the scene. Using hydraulic cutters, they managed to extricate the driver's body from the mangled cabin. His body was later shifted to the District General Hospital in Jalna for post-mortem examination.
In a secondary incident, another Eicher vehicle following the first collided with the accident-hit vehicle. Fortunately, no casualties were reported from the second crash.
Police Sub-Inspector Ramdas Nikam visited the spot and oversaw the traffic management efforts. The damaged vehicles were moved aside with the help of a Hydra crane, and two lanes were reopened for traffic to ease the congestion.
Local personnel, including Ashok Kale, Gavai, Rathod, Kharat, Lahu Jadhav, Anand Bhore, Sunil Wagh, and Ilyas, played a crucial role in managing the situation and assisting with the clearance operation.
Due to the accident, traffic flow on the Samruddhi Highway was disrupted for a brief period but was later restored following prompt action by the authorities.