Nagpur: The vehicles involved in the fatal crash on Samruddhi Expressway were travelling well below the speed limit. The open pickup-trailer carrying over two dozen people and three large idols for Navratri celebrations was crawling at just 10km/hr, while the truck that rammed it from behind was clocked at 50km/hr, sources said.Maharashtra Highway Police SP Lohit Matani said a camera about a kilometre from the accident spot had recorded the speeds of both vehicles. The trailer, designed like a chariot and carrying idols of Goddess Durga, a lion and a demon, along with nearly two dozen people on its open platform, was travelling from Shegaon to Wardha.Based on their entry time, the pickup-trailer had been on the expressway for nearly 14 hours by the time of the crash but had covered barely 80km, an official said. The convoy had also stopped twice near wayside petrol pumps to prepare food and still had around 50km to travel.Despite moving for several hours at a speed far below that of normal traffic on the high-speed corridor, the vehicle was apparently not stopped by patrolling traffic police or other enforcement agencies.Amravati Rural SP Niketan Kadam said the truck hit the trailer from behind. “As the trailer was open, following the impact, many were thrown into the air and fell to their deaths. Subsequently, the pickup van driver rammed into the side barrier, leading to the second impact, after which the trolley overturned,” he said.Police confirmed that the truck did not hit any passenger and said its driver fled the scene after the crash.
