Pune: Three of a family were killed and two injured when the car they were travelling in jumped the median, went onto the opposite side and crashed into an oncoming private bus near Manchar on Pune-Nashik highway around 11.15pm on Sunday.The Pune Rural police identified the deceased as architect Mallikarjun Ambegave (46), wife Aarati (43), also an architect, Aarati’s mother Lata Tuplondhe (63) — all from Walhekarwadi in Chinchwad. The injured are Ambegave’s son Prem (20) and daughter Mrunal (16), who are undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, police said.Inspector Shrikant Kankal of the Manchar police told TOI that the Ambegave family was returning home in their sedan after attending a function in Nashik. They reached Eklahare village around 11.15 pm on Sunday. Ambegave lost control of the steering wheel as the car climbed the gradient of a bridge on the highway. “The car first hit the median and went over it. The car crashed into a private bus on its way to Dhule in the Nashik-bound lane of the highway,” Kankal said.The officer said Ambegave, his wife and mother-in-law were killed on the spot, while his son and daughter sustained injuries.A witness said the bus dragged the car for a few metres and then stopped. “We first sent the two injured people to the hospital. It was tough to remove the bodies from the mangled remains of the vehicle,” he added.Kankal said the accident caused traffic congestion on the highway. “We immediately removed the ill-fated vehicle to ensure traffic resumes. The bus driver has lodged a complaint in this regard,” he added.Ambegave was also involved in the construction business. His son Prem is pursuing an architecture degree and daughter Mrunal has written her Class X boards recently.
