A tragic accident in Chinchwad claimed the life of 14-year-old schoolboy Farukh Tamboli on Thursday afternoon when a cement mixer truck struck his bicycle in the Premlok Park area.
Farukh, a Class IX student at a private English medium school, was cycling home around 12:30 pm along Akurdi-Chinchwad Road toward Chapekar Chowk when the accident occurred. The truck, driven by 39-year-old Nivrutti Giri from Alandi, hit the boy from behind, causing him to fall and get crushed under the heavy vehicle’s wheels.
Farukh was rushed to the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital in Pimpri, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Senior Police Inspector Dattatreya Chaskar of the Chinchwad police said that CCTV footage from nearby shops confirmed the truck was trailing too closely. The boy was crossing a speed-breaker when the truck failed to slow down, leading to the fatal collision.
Eyewitnesses suggested the driver may have been using a cellphone at the time of the accident. Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage along the route to determine whether distraction contributed to the crash.
The incident has reignited concerns about heavy vehicle movement in city areas. While the Pimpri-Chinchwad traffic police restrict heavy vehicle traffic during peak hours—from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm—this accident occurred at 12:30 pm, just 30 minutes after the morning restriction ended.
Inspector Chaskar stated, “We will ensure stringent legal action is taken against the driver,” underscoring the need for stricter enforcement of road safety measures.
