Overview
- A cement-laden truck descending Gaimukh Ghat around 6:30 a.m. Friday collided with vehicles that police say had entered the opposite lane to bypass congestion.
- Injury reports vary, with four people seriously hurt and up to 12 injured overall, including victims requiring surgery for facial and spinal injuries.
- The truck driver fled the scene and remains untraced as Thane police say they will file cases against the absconding driver and motorists who drove against traffic.
- An oil spill worsened the hazard and gridlock; five cranes and the fire brigade cleared wreckage and petroleum on the carriageway, and traffic was fully restored by about 11:30 a.m.
- Authorities and residents describe the Gaimukh stretch as accident-prone due to heavy truck movement, rising private traffic, and service-road mergers that encourage wrong-side driving.