PUNE: Helmet saved the life of a biker hit by a car on the wrong side of the Airport Road around noon on Thursday.The 22-year-old biker, Sawant Shirhari Zore, fell on the other side of the road and his head banged against the road. But he did not suffer any grievous head injury as he was wearing a helmet.His right leg fractured and is currently recuperating in a private hospital in Vishrantwadi.Pritam Bansode, the pillion rider on Zore’s bike, was not wearing a helmet. He fortunately escaped with internal injuries on his left hand.The car driver sped away after the accident Zore and Bansode are contract loaders with GoAir at Pune Airport . Zore, hailing from, Aurangabad told TOI, “I left my rented house at Kalwad Vasti on the motorbike and picked up Bansode from Tingrenagar. We took a right turn from 509 Chowk and passing through the Airport Road at a normal speed. The driver of the speeding car lost control over his vehicle and came on the wrong side of the road. His four-wheeler grazed my bike’s leg guard and then hit my leg near Sky Belevedre housing society.”He said, “I fell on the left side. My head banged against the road and I became unconscious. I regained consciousness in the intensive care unit of the hospital and found my leg fractured. I did not suffer serious injury on my head because I was wearing the helmet. I will remain in the hospital for a week and have been advised to take bed rest for a month.”Zore said, “I wear the helmet for my own safety ever since I started riding bike. It has saved my life. I want my family members, friends, colleagues and others to wear the head gear for their own safety and betterment.”Bansode, having his roots in Satara, told TOI, “We were on the way to the airport for a safety training. We took a turn to the Airport Road from the Vimannagar side. There was traffic jam on the other side of the road. A car entered on the wrong side and hit our bike. After falling, I was quickly back on my feet and jotted down the registration number of the car. Then I saw Zore’s leg folded. He was groaning in severe pain. I rushed him to a hospital with the help of passersby. The accident has made me learn the lesson that I should also wear a helmet.”Senior inspector Dilip Shinde of the Airport police said, “We have recorded Zore’s statement and booked the car driver on charges of rash driving, causing hurt and endangering life among other charges of the Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act. We shall arrest the driver at the earliest.”Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Tejaswi Satpute said, “As many as 24 people were killed in accidents this year. Of them, nine bikers were not wearing helmet and two did not tie the strap of the head gear. Nine pedestrians also lost their lives. We have registered 744 cases of wrong side driving between January 1 and February 15.”

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