Ghorpadi: As the month of May draws to a close, a tragic accident has left a family grieving in Ghorpadi. A grandmother, who ventured out to buy new clothes for her grandchildren visiting from Hyderabad before the school holidays ended, lost her life in a tragic accident. Her dream of dressing her grandchildren in new clothes remains unfulfilled. In a selfless act, the grandmother saved her grandson’s life, sacrificing her own. The incident occurred at Kalubai Chowk on Solapur Road this morning, where an elderly woman was struck by a bus while her grandson Kartik sustained serious injuries.

The deceased has been identified as Kusumlata Ramnawal Pandey, 64, a resident of Surendra Corner on BT Kawade Road, Ghorpadi. Around 10:30 a.m., Kusumlata, along with her husband and two grandchildren, took an auto-rickshaw to Kalubai Chowk from Kawade Road. As they attempted to cross Solapur Road to reach 93 Avenue Mall on foot—after the auto driver declined to cross the intersection—the signal abruptly changed.

In a sudden turn of events, an ST bus approached rapidly. Kusumlata pushed her grandson forward, saving his life, but was herself hit by the bus. Bystanders rushed Kusumlata Pandey to Inamdar Hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.

The driver of the ST bus, Vijay Balu Bhorkde, 53, has been detained for questioning. The accident caused significant traffic congestion on the road, leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the old bridge on Kawade Road, a situation not seen in the past 20 years.

Lack of Pedestrian Facilities at Kalubai Chowk

Pedestrians face significant challenges crossing the eighty-foot Solapur Road at Kalubai Chowk. Travelers from Kawade Road to Wanwadi often encounter reckless drivers, compounding the danger. The area houses a large mall, drawing many, especially from the Ghorpadi area, who cross the road on foot due to auto-rickshaw drivers refusing to make the turn necessary to drop passengers directly at the mall. This frequent scenario forces passengers, including children and the elderly, to navigate the dangerous crossing, where several minor accidents have previously occurred.

The tragic accident underscores the urgent need for better pedestrian facilities and stricter traffic management at Kalubai Chowk to prevent such heart-wrenching incidents in the future