CALANGUTE: It was their last dinner together for three friends holidaying in Goa when a speeding car driven by a Russian national in a rash and negligent manner mowed them down near the Saturday Night Bazaar at the Salt Lake ground at Arpora in the wee hours of Saturday.
The deceased aged between 46-48 years have been identified as Mahesh Sharma, resident of Nashik, Maharashtra, Dilipkumar Bang and Manojkumar Soni, both residents of Hyderabad, Telangana.
According to Mapusa DySP Jivba Dalvi, 27-year-old Anton Bychkov, a Russian national, drove his a red car in a rash and negligent manner and at a high speed while proceeding from Anjuna to Calangute and mowed down three tourists while they were crossing the road and trying to get into their Telangana-registered vehicle facing towards Calangute.
The impact was such that three tourists died on the spot and the car driven by Bychkov crashed into a roadside nullah. The Russian sustained serious injuries.
The tourists had come on a holiday with their friends and had put up at a resort in Calangute. The group of five tourists had just finished having their late-night dinner at the restaurant alongside the road.
The Anjuna Police said they received a call at around 3.30 am informing them about the accident near 23 Restaurant, Arpora, following which the police staff visited the spot and conducted the panchanama. The three tourists were shifted to the District Hospital, Mapusa, where they were declared brought dead. Their bodies were later shifted to the GMC, Bambolim, for post-mortem. Their family members arrived in the State on Saturday.
The statements of two survivors, the driver and a friend of the tourists, have been recorded. Legal action will be initiated as per law against the accused driver, Anjuna Police said.
Anjuna Police have sent the blood samples of the Russian for alcohol and drug testing.
Meanwhile, Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo said accidents involving tourists have become a regular feature in coastal belt of Bardez during December.
“We don’t know whether he was high or if they were intoxicated. Every year-end we see such accidents. Most accidents happen at night when there is no traffic and they speed up,” she said, urging tourists to enjoy their holidays responsibly.
Anjuna PI Prashal Naik Dessai said they were yet to verify the details of the Russian driver as he was in a serious condition in the GMC.
“We’ve asked the doctors to take a blood sample for alcohol and other tests. The car he was driving was a private vehicle belonging to Oxel-Siolim resident Sujay Tamankar which he had taken on rent. As it’s a private car it cannot be given on rent, so we have registered an offence against the Russian and the vehicle owner under Sections 279, 304 and 336 of IPC and Section 192 of MV Act,” he said.