Speeding BMW kills volunteer, critically injures another at Ganesh Mandal setup in Mumbai

A tragic accident occurred on the morning of September 7 when a speeding BMW ran over two volunteers setting up banners for a Ganesh mandal in Mulund, near Mumbai. One of the volunteers, Pritam Thorat, died from his injuries, while the other, Prasad Patil, remains in critical condition.

The collision happened around 4 a.m. near the Mulundcha Raja Ganesh Mandal mandap, close to Aakruti Tower in Gavanpada. The volunteers, Thorat and Patil, were hanging banners when the BMW struck them. Immediate aid was provided by bystanders, who rushed both victims to a nearby hospital. Despite their efforts, Thorat succumbed to his injuries.

The driver of the BMW fled the scene but was later apprehended by the Mulund police in Navi Mumbai. Shakti Alagh, a Mulund (West) resident, was identified as the driver. Alagh, who previously worked at a call center and had recently bought the second-hand BMW, confessed to the police that he had been working at a Ganesh mandal until 10 p.m. the previous night.

According to Senior Inspector Madan Patil, Alagh claimed he was unable to sleep and decided to take his car for a test drive after recent servicing. "He fled the scene fearing a violent reaction, parked his car in his building, and then took a bike to Navi Mumbai. He was eventually arrested in Kharghar," Patil said.