Mumbai, June 19 (UNI) In yet another fatal crash on the Samruddhi Expressway, two people were killed and seven others were injured, including children, after a jeep rammed into a container truck near Shahapur in Thane district early on Thursday.

The tragic accident occurred at around 5 am between Vashind and Amne within Vashind Police Station limits.

According to preliminary investigations, the jeep – travelling from Pathardi in Ahmednagar to Bhiwandi – struck the rear of a slow-moving Mumbai-bound truck. The impact instantly killed passengers sitting on front seat, Abdul Pasha Shaikh (65) and Jaheed Siddiqui (40).

Among the seven injured were two children, three women and two men, including driver Maruti Gunjal.

Medical authorities at Indira Gandhi Hospital, Bhiwandi, confirmed two to three victims remain in critical condition under intensive observation.

Initial reports suggested driver fatigue or rain-slicked road may have caused Gunjal to lose control on the wheel.

The Shahapur Highway Police and Expressway emergency teams responded immediately. All injured were transported via government ambulance to Bhiwandi Sub-District Hospital, with the most severe cases later transferred to a private facility for advanced care.

The Vashind Police have initiated a formal investigation following post-mortem examinations.

While the driver's drowsiness is considered a primary factor, officials continue to examine road conditions during the rainy pre-dawn hours on the newly operational expressway stretch.

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