The accident happened when Cyrus Mistry was on his way from Gujarat to Mumbai with three others.
Mumbai:
The Mercedes SUV that crashed in Maharashtra’s Palghar on Sunday, in which former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed, had a history of over-speeding and jumping signals, an investigation has found.
Scrutiny of the vehicle’s traffic records has revealed several traffic offences, including cases of jumping red lights and speeding. However, it is not known who was the wheel at the time of these crimes.
The accident took place when Mistry along with three others was on his way to Mumbai from Udvada in Gujarat. The car was being driven by Dr. Anahita Pandole, a top gynecologist in Mumbai. Her husband Darius Pandole was in the front passenger seat. Mistry and Darius Pandole’s brother Jehangir Pandole were seated at the back.
Eyewitnesses said the car was trying to overtake another vehicle at high speed when it rammed into a road divider on the Surya river bridge.
Mistry and Jahangir Pandole died on the spot. A primary post-mortem examination has revealed that the 54-year-old suffered injuries to his head and heart and had polytrauma – which occurs when a person suffers multiple injuries to vital internal organs.
Seriously injured doctors Anahita Pandole and Darius Pandole are undergoing treatment.
The accident has triggered talks on traffic safety after Mistry and Jehangir Pandole were reported not to be wearing seat belts.
Airbags in vehicles are considered supplemental restraint systems (SRS) – they only work in conjunction with seat belts. In India, very few people wear seat belts in the back seat.
For the past few days, videos have been going viral on social media showing how seat belts and airbags work during an accident.
In the video, a car with a dummy is seen crashing at a speed of 40 kmph. The passenger in the rear seat not wearing the seat belt – thrown forward – slammed the front passenger. The passenger with a belt on the rear seat remains safe.