Drunk car driver rams 2-wheelers, kills 3 students

PUNE: No amount of policing seems to deter drunk driving in the city. As Tuesday eased into Wednesday, a car driver rammed two scooters killing three students and injuring two others. All five were returning to their homes after a tea-break at Nigdi octroi post.
The students who died are Sanket Kamalakar Samel (23) from Khopoli in Raigad district, Kiran Dilip Dhane (24) from Satara district and Shubham Sambhaji Bhalekar (23) of Parner in Ahmednagar district.Avinash Baban Mane (21) and Shino John Vidyayati (21) of Bhel Chowk in Nigdi are being treated in a private hospital. "Both are out of danger," Waghmode said.
Samel, Dhane and Bhalekar were third-year students of Master of Computer Application (MCA) of a Nigdi-based private institute. Mane and Shino are pursuing an animation course from the same institute. "On Tuesday night, Samel, Dhane and Bhalekar had gone to Mane's place to complete a college-related project," Waghmode said.
Around midnight, they drove on two vehicles to Nigdi octroi post for tea. They started back at 1.30am. Samel, Dhane and Bhalekar were riding triple seat on one scooter, while Shino and Mane were riding another, he said. Mayur Ramesh Ghumatkar, (29) of Shahunagar was travelling towards Dehu Road from Chinchwad in his car at high speed and on the wrong side of the highway. "He first rammed the scooter carrying Samel, Dhane and Bhalekar," Waghmode said.
The impact was such that one of the students, who was thrown into the air, landed on the windscreen of the car. "The driver lost control over the wheel and dashed the second scooter and stopped," Waghmode said.
Police who arrived at the spot took all the five to a nearby hospital where doctors declared Samel, Dhane and Bhalekar dead, Waghmode said. Ghumatkar has been charged with causing death due to negligence and rash driving under sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Ghumatkar is an engineer and works in a private company in Pimpri. "He accepted that he had consumed liquor. He told us he was driving towards Matheran as he was under some tension," Waghmode said.
A relative told TOI that Ghumatkar had told him that he saw the two scooters, but was distracted by another vehicle and instead of applying the brakes he stepped on the accelerator.