Elderly woman killed by BMC dumper is second such victim in one week

Elderly woman killed by BMC dumper is second such victim in one week
Mumbai Mirror Bureau

Ganga Jethva, 65, was crossing the road when she was knocked down by the dumper.

A senior citizen was mowed down by a speeding garbage dumper in Malad (W) on Saturday. This is the second death this week due to rash driving of dumper drivers. The accused was arrested from the spot and booked for rash driving and causing death due to negligence.

The incident occurred when Ganga Veljibhai Jethva and her son’s mother-in-law were headed to a relative’s place at Somvar Bazaar in Malad.

“The driver, 52-year-old Waman Matkar, was taking a sharp turn near BMC’s P-North ward office and did not notice the two women crossing the road. Matkar immediately brought the dumper to a halt after it hit Jethva. Her companion was not hurt,” said Senior PI Milind Khetle with Malad police station.

Locals rushed Jethva to a hospital nearby, where she was declared dead on arrival. Police said the deceased was a resident of Sangam Vihar, Liberty Garden, Malad (W), which is minutes away from the accident spot.

Asimilar mishap took place in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi on Thursday, in which eight-year old Zoya Shaikh died after being knocked down by a garbage dumper.

Zoya was being taken to school on a motorbike by her father, Wasif, when the speeding dumper rammed him from behind. The impact threw Zoya onto the other side of the road, where she came under the wheels of a truck and was killed on the spot. Wasif, who lost control of the bike and hit the divider, suffered minor injuries.

“A huge number of people die in accidents caused by dumpers. Nearly 8,000 BMC dumpers are at work in Mumbai due to construction activity and work related to roads and drainage. There are no norms in place to keep a check on these rash drivers. BMC can’t escape responsibility by saying that these drivers are the contractor’s employees. They should take cognisance and corrective measures,” said Samajwadi Party corporator Rais Shaikh.