Team Herald
CORLIM: Death struck two families simultaneously. Five people, including a four year old, travelling in a car from Ponda to Panjim, met with one of the most horrific accidents in Goa. Three others, among five survivors, are extremely critical and doctors at GMC are hoping for an absolute miracle for them to survive. The accident took place at Corlim on NH 4-A Monday evening.
The impact of the collision between a Maharashtra registration car and a Dehradun-registered container truck was such that it smashed the car killing three members of two families traveling in it and two pedestrians.
The recently Goa-based Pereira and Mumbai-based Bhoir families travelling in the car were enroute to Panjim from Ponda when the accident occurred at around 4pm. The deceased have been identified as Natalie Pereira (60), Vrushali Bhoir (35), her daughter Manshree Bhoir (4), and two pedestrians Luis Minguel Menezes (48) and Ida Queroz (55).
As per details provided by Sub Divisional Police Officer Nelson Albuquerque, the Maruti Suzuki SX4 missed the lane and slipped to the right side of the highway where it hit two pedestrians and then rammed into the oncoming container. The CCTV, installed at the Malik petrol pump, Corlim close to where the accident took place, has given police some leads.
“The car is completely destroyed. Three car occupants and two persons, who were standing on the roadside died in the collision. The cause of the accident is being ascertained, but prima facie the car driver is at fault. The other car occupants are in the hospital and none are in a position to give a statement. We will wait till they recover,” the officer told Herald.
Old Goa Police roped-in assistance of the nearby Panjim and Agassaim police force and are depending on witnesses if any, to help investigate the case.
Details so far reveal that Shanal Peter Pereira (38), who works abroad and was on a short vacation to Goa, was driving the ill-fated car. Four other Pereira family members – Rupa (35), Savia (17), Shannon (2) and Natalia (60) were traveling with three members of Bhoir family – Vrushali (35) and Manshree (4) Saurabh (38),
Shanal, Rupa and Saurabh are critical. “They have been shifted to the ICU and the two children are also being treated at the Goa Medical College,” he said adding, “The Bhoir family had just recently come to Goa from Thane, Maharashtra. They had gone to visit the Pereira family (prior to the accident), who are originally from Mumbai and residing at Bainguinim for the last three years.”
The container truck driver disappeared from the accident spot and the Old Goa police have launched a manhunt for him. “The video footage indicates the rash act on the part of the car driver but how did the car miss the lane, whether it was a technical or human error, where were the families heading to in Panjim and other details will not be very clear until the patients recover,” the officer said.
The victims’ families have been informed about the accident.
