Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis blames Shiv Sangram leader Vinayak Mete driver for mishap

MUMBAI: Even as a CID inquiry has been ordered into the death of Shiv Sangram leader Vinayak Mete in a car crash on the Mumbai-Pune expressway on August 14, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state assembly on Monday that the late leader's driver showed, "very poor judgement" in trying to overtake a heavy vehicle ahead of him.
"There was a trailer which had come into the middle lane and the driver first tried to overtake that.Then he tried to overtake the vehicle on the left so his car was then between two large vehicles. There was not enough space for the car to pass through. The driver showed very poor judgement," said Fadnavis.
Fadnavis said the car received a very strong impact. "Doctors at the site said it was possible he died immediately but all these issues are the subject of the current inquiry," said Fadnavis, who also controls the home portfolio.
Mete's driver called the police control room several times but could not provide the correct location. "He said they were near a tunnel so the initial call went to the Navi Mumbai police. We later found that the accident spot fell within the jurisdiction of the Raigad police. A bystander informed IRB and they reached there in a vehicle," said Fadnavis. He said that while the CID probe would try and establish if there was criminal negligence, a separate probe by an additional director general of police would look into whether there were administrative lapses following the car crash.
In order to avoid such loss of time after accidents, Fadnavis said the government would set up an Intelligent Traffic Monitoring System on the Mumbai-Pune expressway to reveal the exact location of the caller who had reached out to the police. "It will use artificial intelligence, drones and satellite images," he said.
Fadnavis also urged legislators not to travel on the expressway in the early hours of the morning. "Legislators should avoid travelling between 3am and 6am on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. At that time, drivers tend to feel sleepy and chances of accidents are higher," he said.
Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar asked the government to widen the Mumbai-Pune expressway to eight lanes from the current six. "Large trailers and light motor vehicles should be in separate lanes. This will help prevent accidents," he said.