PUNE: The driver and cleaner of a truck carrying iron pipes died on the spot when the cargo pierced into the driver’s cabin as he applied sudden brakes before the Kasurdi toll plaza, on the Pune-Solapur highway, on Wednesday night.The police investigation has revealed that the truck driver had applied sudden brakes when he noticed a speed breaker before the toll plaza, which is about 50km from Pune. Inertia then caused the vehicle’s cargo to come crashing through the separator into the cabin.The deceased have been identified as Jagannath Malale, the 25-year-old driver, and Jayanand Punekar (23), the cleaner. Both of them were from the Bidar district in Karnataka The police had to use a crane and earth moving machine to clear the pipes to remove the bodies.Prashant Shinde, an eyewitness, told TOI that the accident took place around 9pm. “I was standing along the highway, near the toll plaza, looking for a lift to Pune,” Shinde said. He noticed a truck carrying iron pipes heading towards the toll plaza at high speed.“The pipes were protruding out of the truck’s carriage. When he was approaching the toll plaza, the driver suddenly noticed a speed breaker and had to brake hard,” Shinde said.He added the sudden halt of the vehicle caused the iron pipes to pierce into the truck’s cabin. “The pipes completely destroyed the wooden cabin,” he said.Shinde and others ran towards the truck. “The accident scene was horrifying. The driver and the cleaner were entangled under the heap of iron pipes,” he said.Shinde then alerted the Yavat police. He said the police immediately reached the spot. “It took more than two hours to shift the pipes and remove the bodies,” he said.An officer from the Yavat police said the prima facie probe has revealed that the driver was heading towards Pune from Karnataka. “We have registered an offence against the driver for negligent driving,” he added.Speaking to TOI, deputy RTO Sagare Vinod said there are two kinds of fines applicable on vehicles that carry objects that protrude out of the carriage space.“There is a norm called the ‘rear access projection’. It says that nothing that exceeds the length and breadth of the carriage can be transported in a commercial vehicle. The fine for the same is Rs10,000. Also, such vehicles can be booked under section 179 of the Motor Vehicle Act, which is an offence related to causing danger to other vehicles. This attracts an additional fine of Rs 2,000. However, checking of these offences is not very frequent. But we will start a campaign in the near future,” he said.(With inputs from Joy Sengupta)

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