A fatal road accident on the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway near Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district claimed the lives of two people and left the driver injured after a BMW crashed into a divider.
According to police, the accident occurred late at night when three friends were returning from a birthday party. Preliminary investigations indicate that the vehicle was being driven at an extremely high speed. A video shared on social media before the crash allegedly showed the BMW travelling at approximately 250 kmph.
According to eyewitnesses and police officials, the force of the collision was so severe that the BMW’s engine detached from the vehicle and landed about 30 metres away. The front portion of the car was completely destroyed, and the vehicle reportedly became lodged between two sections of the divider after being thrown into the air.
Photographs and videos from the accident site have circulated widely on social media.
Police identified the deceased as Yogesh Negi, 26, and Rebecca Jacob, 24. Both were residents of Mumbai’s Bandra area.
The injured driver and BMW owner, Angad, is undergoing treatment at Fortis Hospital in Kalyan. Doctors have stated that his condition is stable.
Investigators found that the three friends had gathered at a location in Badlapur (West) on Saturday evening to celebrate Yogesh Negi’s birthday.
Police also recovered a bill of approximately Rs 9,000 from the accident site, which they said corroborated details related to the gathering. The three were travelling back via the expressway when the accident occurred.
Thane Police are investigating multiple aspects of the case. Officials said preliminary evidence suggests the vehicle was being driven at an extremely high speed and that the driver may have been engaging in stunt-like behaviour on the road.
Police have also begun examining the social media account of deceased victim Yogesh Negi. Investigators said a video recovered from the account allegedly showed the BMW being driven at very high speed. They are attempting to determine whether the video was recorded shortly before the crash
The section of the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway where the accident occurred contains concrete barricades installed at several locations for construction work and traffic management.
Police believe the driver may have attempted to avoid a barricade while travelling at high speed, causing the vehicle to lose balance. The BMW then struck the central divider. The impact reportedly launched the vehicle into the air before it came to rest between two sections of the divider.
An eyewitness said he was walking late at night when he saw the BMW pass by two or three times at a very high speed. According to the witness, both the sound and speed of the vehicle appeared unusual.
The eyewitness stated: “The third time, there was suddenly a loud crash. When we reached the spot, the car was completely destroyed. A young woman had been thrown a considerable distance away, and a young man was lying seriously injured.”
Local residents immediately alerted police and ambulance services, but two occupants had already died.
Thane Police have urged motorists to follow prescribed speed limits on expressways and avoid dangerous driving or stunt-related activities for social media content.
Investigators are examining technical and digital evidence related to the crash, including vehicle speed data, mobile recordings, CCTV footage and eyewitness statements.
Officials said a detailed report on the actual cause of the accident will be released after the investigation is completed.
