Hit-and-run cases in South Goa are on the rise, with police data from the past three months showing a sharp increase in both incidents and fatalities. Most victims were pedestrians, with drivers fleeing the scene and leaving them without assistance or medical aid.
In May, June and July 2025, several pedestrians were killed or seriously injured. Police have registered cases, but many remain unsolved as culprits are yet to be traced.
On May 17, an unidentified woman died after being struck by a car while walking on the NH-17 bypass road in Verna. On May 30, 67-year-old pedestrian Joseph Baptista from Margao was killed when a bus knocked him down near old market circle as he crossed the road. Earlier, Moddi-Navelim resident Vijay Pal Yadav died after being hit by a scooter while walking along the roadside.
Injury cases include Mahub Nasarjung of Ambelim-Velim, who suffered head and shoulder injuries after being struck by an unidentified two-wheeler at Colva circle on July 3; Shantaram Velip of Kalay-Sanguem, who sustained head injuries after being hit by a scooter in Sanguem on July 25; and Priscilla Cardoz of Navelim, who was injured on June 8, after being knocked down by a motorcyclist in Fatorda.
Other victims include Ramesh Naik, 57, who sustained grievous injuries when a scooter hit him near Shah Darbar Hotel on June 19 and Topilal Sunal, 56, who suffered multiple injuries after being struck by a car in Upasnagar on June 24.
Police said pedestrians remain the primary victims in such cases, including Yadav, the unidentified woman, Baptista and Velip. In several incidents, drivers fled the scene - a hallmark of hit-and-run offences. Offences have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, with investigations ongoing.
Advocate Vinay Patker explained that the BNS contains stringent provisions for such offences, with Section 106(2) prescribing up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine for a driver who causes death by rash or negligent driving and then flees without reporting the incident. “This provision is designed to deter drivers from leaving accident victims to die,” he said.
He added that the MV Act requires drivers to stop, provide aid to the injured and report the incident to police. Section 161 of the MV Act mandates compensation for deaths or grievous injuries in hit-and-run accidents, with specified amounts and claim procedures.
A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said deaths in such cases would likely be investigated under Section 106 of the BNS Act, with the exact charge — 106(1) or 106(2) — depending on whether the driver remained at the scene or fled.