Overview
- The crash occurred early Friday when a Fortuner travelling from Pune to Mumbai rear-ended a vegetable-laden goods tempo inside the Missing Link tunnel, killing Wakad resident Tushar Bhumkar at the scene.
- Rescue teams from the Highway Police, IRB patrol, Devdoot emergency unit and an MSRDC ambulance removed the injured and took them to hospital while Mumbai-bound traffic was suspended and diverted for about two hours.
- Police have registered a case and are investigating suspected speeding and claims that some vehicles were stationary in tunnel lanes before the impact; the SUV driver has been booked for negligent driving in preliminary reports.
- CCTV clips shared on social media show the Fortuner striking the tempo from behind and the tempo partially overturning, and investigators are treating the footage as part of the evidence record.
- The death has drawn local attention in Wakad and renewed questions about safety and enforcement inside long highway tunnels, which could prompt stricter speed controls and patrols on the Missing Link.