Cyrus Mistry’s death: Dr Anahita Pandole booked for rash driving, overspeeding | Mumbai News
The accident took place on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway at Charoti in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district, killing former Tata Sons chairperson Cyrus Mistry and his friend Jehangir Pandole.
Visual recreation: This is what led to Mistry’s car crash
Dr Anahita (55), who sustained several fractures and lung trauma, is recovering at H N Reliance hospital in Mumbai.
Darius Pandole, her husband and prime witness in the accident who was discharged from the hospital last Friday, recorded his statement in his south Mumbai home on Tuesday.
The accident had taken place on September 4. Dr Anahita was driving the Mercedes Benz car. Darius was seated in the front seat.
Mistry and Jehangir were seated on the rear seats. The car hit the railing of the two lane Surya river bridge, killing Mistry and Jehangir.
Kasa police said a case of causing death by negligence has been registered based on the statement given by Darius and the reports submitted by the carmakers and the Regional Transport Office.
In his statement, Darius said Dr Anahita was on the third lane and she could not merge into the two-lane Surya river bridge.
The car markers in their report have also blamed the driver for an error in judgement. The police had initially registered an accidental death case.
The driver tried to overtake a vehicle but soon realised that another vehicle was already ahead on the second lane. The driver swerved towards the edge of the bridge and crashed into the railing.
The wreckage of the car was inspected by a team from Hongkong, days after the accident.
A preliminary report submitted by the car marker to the Palghar cops after the accident had pinned the blame on overspeeding and error of judgement by the driver.
The report had stated that brakes were applied five seconds before the crash and the speed had dropped to 89kmph. The maximum speed limit for the highway is 80kmph.
A preliminary inquiry after the accident had concluded an error of judgement by the driver when the road turned narrow—three lanes to two—at the bridge.
