Shopkeeper shot dead

● The vehicle ran out of fuel midway and was parked near a railway overbridge when the crash occurred. SANTOSH JADHAV, Police inspector, Mahad taluka police station

- Surendra P Gangan

MUMBAI: A van towing a car rammed into a stationary SUV on the Mumbai-Goa highway, causing the death of four and leaving two others seriously injured.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Friday close to the Veer railway station in Raigad.

According to police, the driver of the towing van, identified as Suyog Sahastrabudhe, has been arrested by Mahad taluka police for rash and reckless driving.

The accident happened while he was towing a high-end car from Chiplun to Panvel. The impact was such that the van crashed into eight passengers, all from Mahad taluka.

The four deceased have been identified as Suryakant Ram More, 27, from Navegaon; Sahil alias Ritik Nathushelar, 25, from Kumbharli; Prashant Natekar, 25, from Navenagar; and Sameer Kumar Minde, 35, from Dapoli.

The grievously injured have been identified as Shubham Chandra Matal, 27, from Shirgaon; and Suraj Ashok Nalawade, 34, from Chambharkheda.

The group of eight friends had initially decided to travel to their village. However, the vehicle ran out of fuel midway and was parked near a railway overbridge when the crash occurred," said police inspector Santosh Jadhav of Mahad taluka police station.

Two passengers escaped the crash as one of them had gone to get diesel while another had stepped out to speak on the phone.

"Six were seated inside when the towing van, at high speed, rammed into the SUV. The impact of the collision was so strong that the SUV was thrown away and the front portion of the towing van got mangled. The entire incident was witnessed by a friend attending a phone call, identified as Arya Mahadkar, 19," said additional superintendent of police of Raigad, Abhijeet Shivthare.

Of the two injured, the condition of Nalawade is reported to be serious and he is currently undergoing treatment at MGM Hospital in Kamothe.