BEST bus accident: Previous driver left bus in drive mode instead of neutral: arrested driver to police

BEST said an internal committee has been formed to conduct an urgent probe into the circumstances leading to the accident. (PTI photo)

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 left the electric bus in drive mode instead of neutral. The driver, Santosh Sawant, 50, was produced before the court on Tuesday and was remanded in police custody till January 3.

According to police, when the drivers’ shift changed and Sawant took over, he pulled the hand brake to start the bus and pressed the accelerator assuming the vehicle was in neutral mode when the bus surged forward.

Sawant quickly tried to turn the bus right towards the police chowky, said senior inspector of Bhandup police station Balasaheb Pawar, adding, “Had the vehicle gone straight, it would’ve impacted 50-100 people on the road and the casualty would have been much higher.”

Sawant had been a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) driver for several years, while he had been driving an electric bus for the past three months. Police sought his remand stating that they wanted to recreate the incident to understand how the vehicle went out of control.

The bus will be sent to RTO to check if there was any mechanical failure on the part of the bus, police said, adding the person who drove the bus prior to Sawant would be questioned to verify the claim of the arrested driver.

“However, as per law, the person who is at the wheel when the incident took place is responsible for the incident,” an officer added.

In an official statement, BEST said an internal committee has been formed to conduct an urgent probe into the circumstances leading to the accident.

“The General Manager, BEST Undertaking, has directed that an immediate inquiry be conducted through an internal committee and a detailed report be submitted at the earliest,” the undertaking said.

The undertaking also announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased, while injured passengers will be provided compensation as per applicable norms.

Three women and one man were declared dead at the hospitals, while eight others, including seven men, are undergoing treatment. Videos that went viral later showed people pushing the bus to one side to rescue those who were trapped beneath.

The Bhandup police arrested Sawant on Monday night after registering an FIR. Prima facie, he did not appear to be driving under the influence of any intoxicant, an officer said.