THANE: A truck carrying a heavy load of iron rods and pipes crashed on the Patlipada flyover along the Ghodbunder Highway in Thane during the early hours of Tuesday, killing the driver and his assistant. The mishap brought vehicular movement to a standstill for several hours.The incident occurred around 12.35am when the truck, en route from Navi Mumbai to Gujarat, lost control and rammed into a streetlight pole on the median of the flyover. The impact crushed the vehicle’s cabin, trapping the driver and his helper inside.The deceased have been identified as Vinod (42) and Rahim Pathan (25), both hailing from Uttar Pradesh. Emergency teams from the Thane Fire Brigade, Regional Disaster Management Cell, and local police responded with rescue equipment including hydra cranes, a fire engine, and ambulances. The victims were extricated with great effort but were declared dead on arrival at a local hospital.Following the crash, the truck’s cargo—over eight tonnes of iron rods and pipes—spilled onto the highway, halting traffic in both directions on the flyover. It took several hours and heavy machinery to clear the debris and tow the damaged truck aside. Traffic was temporarily diverted to the service and slip roads to ease congestion.
