Mumbai BEST Bus Accident: Driver Hired on Contract 10 Days Ago with Limited Experience in Large Vehicles

A tragic accident occurred in Kurla when the driver of a BEST bus, Sanjay More, lost control of the vehicle, causing severe damage. The police have arrested him on charges of culpable homicide. After the incident, eyewitnesses claimed the driver appeared intoxicated, but the police clarified that he was not under the influence of alcohol. More will be presented in court at 2 PM today. Investigations are ongoing to check if a technical fault was involved in the accident. 

According to police, Sanjay More started his job as a BEST driver on December 1. On Monday night, his heavy vehicle driving license was seized by the police.   Previously working elsewhere, he had limited experience with large vehicles, having only driven smaller ones. He was hired on a contract basis by BEST. The police are also questioning the BEST officials who hired More. The accident took place in the Ambedkar Nagar area, where the bus lost control, hitting several vehicles and running over pedestrians. Approximately 49 people were injured, and 7, including 3 men and 3 women, tragically lost their lives.

The police have detained the bus driver, 50-year-old Sanjay More, who allegedly claimed a brake failure caused the accident. However, eyewitnesses alleged that the bus driver was inebriated and could not control the heavy vehicle. Inspector Bharat Jadhav from the state transport department said prima facie, the bus’s brakes are fine. He added that a detailed analysis would be done later .The bus, which departed from Kurla Station and was en route to Andheri, allegedly lost control over a 100-meter stretch on SG Barve Marg. It crashed into pedestrians, damaged 30-40 vehicles, and collided with the RCC column of the Solomon Building, breaking its compound wall, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).The deceased have been identified as Afreen Shah, 19; Anam Shaikh, 20; Kanish Kadri, 55; and Shivam Kashyap, 18.