What caused the BEST bus accident that killed 4 in Mumbai? Here’s what the driver says

Four people died and eight were injured after a BEST bus in Bhandup lurched forward; the driver blamed a gear error by the previous driver, and police have arrested him. (File)

Santosh Sawant, 50, the driver of the BEST bus that ran over pedestrians in Bhandup on Monday night, killing four people and injuring eight others, told the Mumbai police that the accident took place due to a mistake on the part of the previous driver who had handled the vehicle.

Sawant said the other driver had placed the hand brake in drive mode instead of neutral mode. After their shift changed, when Sawant pulled the hand brake to start the bus, the vehicle, which was already on drive mode, surged forward and ran over the crowd in front, he claimed. Twelve people were knocked down in the impact and rushed to MT Agarwal Hospital in Mulund and Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar. A lamppost was also damaged.

Following the accident, three women and one man were pronounced dead at the hospitals, while eight others, including seven men, are currently under treatment. Videos that went viral later showed people pushing the bus to one side to rescue those who were trapped under it.

The Bhandup police arrested Sawant on Monday night after registering a First Information Report (FIR) in the matter. He is a permanent bus driver under the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST), and not a contractual employee, an officer said. Sawant will be produced before a court on Tuesday where the police will seek his custody.

Prima facie, he did not appear to be driving under the influence of any intoxicant, an officer stated.

A police officer said that they will be calling the previous driver to record his statement in connection with the incident. They have also sent the bus for an inspection to determine if there was some technical fault.