KURKUMBH: An accident took place on the Pune-Solapur highway when the driver of a pick-up van lost control over the vehicle and rammed into the road divider at Kurkumbh on Thursday midnight.
The driver, Radheshyam Devram Wankhede (25), a resident of Parbhani district, died on the spot as he was crushed by a heap of jaggery blocks. His assistant was thrown out of the vehicle and has received minor injuries.
The van was loaded with jaggery blocks at Loni Kalbhor and was going to Barshi when the mishap took place on the turning point in the industrial area at Kurkumbh. The van rammed into the divider at high speed and the vehicle toppled over 2/3 times and the driver lost his life.
When local residents came to know about the mishap, many reached the spot and took away jaggery blocks. Some residents who came late were disappointed that they did not get the jaggery. The van became empty in no time. Residents were so engrossed in looting jaggery blocks that they forgot about the traffic jams. It seemed as if jaggery had become more important than human life.
