MARGAO: In a car crash early Saturday morning on the Western Bypass at Nuvem, two Indian Navy lieutenants lost their lives, and one was injured and admitted to Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim.
The accident occurred when the car, driven by Aryan Prasher, 28, crashed into a cement block on the side of the road. The deceased have been identified as Rudra Gosain, 29, and Arun Vir Singh, 26, while the driver, Aryan Prasher, sustained injuries.
PSI Gaurav Naik and head constable Laxman Majik of the Maina-Curtorim police station rushed to the accident site and conducted the panchanama. The police have registered an offence against Aryan Prasher under Sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC. Police plan to record Aryan Prasher's statement at GMC, before proceeding with the arrest.
Police sources revealed that all three individuals were single and based in Karwar. They had left Karwar the previous evening, travelled to North Goa by a private Haryana-regsitered car, and were returning to the Navy base at Karwar when the accident occurred at Nuvem.
Locals who gathered at the site believe that Aryan Prasher either fell asleep at the wheel or lost control of the car while speeding, leading to the crash. Fire services personnel were called to help extricate the three men from the mangled car. Sources said there were empty beer cans in the backseat, though the police are yet to confirm if the driver was inebriated. Rudra Gosain and Arun Vir Singh were declared brought dead upon arrival at the South Goa District Hospital.
After the panchanama, the car was taken to Maina-Curtorim police station for RTO inspection. Police said that Navy officials from Karwar arrived in Margao on Saturday afternoon, and the bodies of the deceased have been preserved at the South Goa District Hospital, for the autopsy on Sunday.
Local residents who gathered at the site of the crash expressed concern over the increasing number of accidents in the area. Mingule Pereira, a local, pointed out that Nuvem is a known accident-prone area, with mishaps being frequently reported on the Western Bypass stretch as well as the NH 66 stretch that runs parallel. He urged the authorities to inspect such areas and implement preventive measures to reduce accidents.
There have been 60 accidents with seven fatalities within the Maina-Curtorim police jurisdiction up to April this year, compared to 70 accidents with five fatalities during the same period last year.
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