[V.Narayan]

Autopsy summary

https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...rgans-8133139/

The preliminary autopsy of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry revealed that he sustained severe head trauma and multiple fractures in chest, head region, thigh and neck, in the accident near Mumbai on Sunday. This caused multiple injuries to vital organs, leading to his death. Other than multiple fractures, both of the deceased sustained blunt injuries in their vital organs due to the impact of the accident which caused internal bleeding. Doctors believe death was almost instantaneous.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by Safari Persona

Isn't 20 kilometers in 9 minutes an average speed of ~133KMPH? Did the "official" really claim that's 180-190 or is that an editorial mistake?

If you try to cover 100 kms in one hour through a busy highway(very different from a drag strip), you'd know that the normal time to distance formula is just on paper.

Perhaps they would have spotted them in camera feed, calculate the time stamp vs distance and taken a guess.

[denzdm]

Mercedes officials on Monday visited the accident spot and inspected the car. As per an article in the Indian Express - https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...t-car-8132931/

it states - “Just as an aircraft has a blackbox, these Mercedes cars have a chip that can give details of the speed and can provide vital information on the accident. The Mercedes team that inspected the car also told us they will give us a report on the response of the vehicle,” district superintendent of police Balasaheb Patil said.

Maybe this can give some valuable insights which right now are being speculated about (car speed at crash, etc).

[varunswnt]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

The car a Mercedes Benz GLS (?) MH 47 AB 6705 belonged to JM Financial and was a second owner car.

This helps us understand the owner of this fateful Car. Link

Who is Darius Pandole?

One of the survivors from Cyrus Mistry's car accident at Palghar, Darius Pandole, is the MD and CEO of Private Equity JM Financial Ltd and co-founder Indasia Fund Advisors Pvt Ltd. Darius happens to be the board of Mahindra Logistics, Fairchem Organics Ltd along others.

He served as an Independent Director at the Board of Directors of Tata Global Beverages Ltd from mid- 2012 to December 2016.

Originally Posted by varunswnt

Rest in peace, Cyrus Mistry.

2nd high profile road fatality in month's period in Maharashtra. 1st being Vinayak Mete - a politician (though can't be compared with Cyrus on any parameters).

In both the cases, IMHO there was an error of judgement by drivers of their respective cars. 1st one erred by overtaking from left side and trying to squeeze between 2 trailers, 2nd one might have erred by being involved in conversations and just for that very moment steering may have slightly digressed.

I am in no way justifying lack of road markings, reflectors, etc.

Unfortunately, driver in this accident too had erred in their judgement. The drivers involved in both the cases have a very stark difference in their cultural, social upbringing.

1st one would most probably be a local rural fellow with bare minimum education and no idea of road manners whatsoever. He would have been part of political car convoy most of his driving career.
2nd one was a highly respected, well regarded person from Medical field, with top notch education and entire life spent in Tier-1 metropolis. She would definitely have been on numerous foreign trips and would have even experienced driving extensively in developed nations.

This goes on to show that no matter who and where we come from, we are still one wrong decision away from life and death.

Maharashtra state highways have this commonly sighted safety sign board. This roughly translates to, "Being mindful is utmost form of brake".

Again, I am in no way justifying sorry state of road engineering (esp. alignments at entry and exit points of bridges, highways, etc.) or trying to bring insult to anyone involved in this case.
RIP all the deceased and wish early recovery for injured.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Looking at the speeds they were travelling at, this can be easily called dangerous driving, Illustration from Deccan Herald.

Originally Posted by Safari Persona

Isn't 20 kilometres in 9 minutes an average speed of ~133KMPH? Did the "official" really claim that's 180-190, or is that an editorial mistake?

My guess is the journalist wanted something sensational to report. 130kmph might not raise eyebrows, but 180kmph certainly will.

[novice]

Based on some of the satellite images of the accident spot that other members posted in this thread, it is clear that the accident was caused by poor road design. The third lane seem to lead the driver directly onto the concrete wall. Even best of the drivers may fall victim to this poor design. But I am sorry to say that deaths were caused by negligence of occupants of the car.

Two things I never do on highways -
1) Overtake from left side (from middle and left lanes) unless I could see the road ahead for at least 100 meters.
2) Drive with unbelted passengers.

I slow down the moment I see some road side shops, median gaps, junction etc even if the road ahead is clear. One would never know when the vehicle ahead would swerve to take the exit, stop for the roadside tea stall or someone cross road.

Also, I never send my kids on highway trips unless I am the driver.

Indian highways are death traps and human life carries no value. Change would come only when every individual learns to value his/her own life.

[itwasntme]

A couple of points came to mind:

1. I'm a little surprised there are no eyewitnesses to the actual accident coming forward. It's a busy highway.
2. Chance of a front tyre burst. Does the GLC 220D come with RFTs or tubeless?
3. It could have been forced off the road by another vehicle.

Actual onsite eyewitnesses (either pedestrians) or adjacent commuters can easily clear the confusion. For example, there was a ghastly Ferrari crash outside Kolkata some time back. That was caused by a truck suddenly veering into the (admittedly 'speeding') Ferrari's lane.

[Sebring]

I had a crash outside Abu Dhabi in 2007, at 160 KMPH. No external injury, Car was totaled. The 3G forces are so intense that I could make out each and every organ as it was hurting. My entire body, the muscles would be in pain for a month. Mental trauma was such I was afraid to board any car for 6 months after that. All memories came rushing back.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Autopsy summary

[V.Narayan]

My empathy goes out also to Dr Anahita Pandole who will now have to deal with survivors guilt and the trauma that at least in part she probably has a responsibility over these two deaths. And all this while dealing with a police case and her own medical recovery & rehabilitation.

Each month I do at least a couple of inter city road trips on work related matters often returning the same day/night. A steady 70 to 80 kmph gets me to my destination no later than the chaps who are forever accelerating off at 100 or 120 kmph. A junction, a railway crossing, navigating through a town,, a herd of cattle, a toll plaza are all equalizers of speedsters and slow pokes like me alike. Indian roads by habit, attitudes and design are simply not meant for driving safely beyond 80 kmph. Just one old man's views.

[Newtown]

Originally Posted by msprabhakar

You should (at least now) advise Ratan Tata...

There is no way to judge whether he just got into the car or was about to get our of the car. The picture does not conclusively say anything and in my opinion should not be posted with the intent it was.

[DevilzzzzOwn]

My dad always told me "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". This is single worst quote that has ruined many a lives

This is so engrained in the Indian mindset and no-one is ready to change it.

• When I ask my parents to belt up at the back, I am hit with it - No-one else wears a seat belt at the back.
• When I am driving at the legal speed limit in the middle lane, I am knocked on my head with it - Look around you, people are overtaking us at such speed that YOU will cause an accident.
• When I am driving in a tunnel without my blinkers, I am hit with it again - Why are you not switching on the blinkers. Everyone else has.
• When I am honking at a truck driving slowly in the overtaking lane, out comes the same weapon - Everyone else is overtaking from the wrong side, why don't you do the same.

And it's not only driving and it's not only the family and friends either. So irritating. The rant continues and you get the gist..

Now switch-off the brain and continue doing what everyone else is doing

[Kln]

The rumour mills and "unnamed sources said" industry is working overtime to not pin the blame on the horrible state of the roads and create an atmosphere of 'personal responsibility'. Very sad to see distinguished members of this forum fall for what clearly is a campaign to avoid any scrutiny of highway authorities.

[kimmig]

From a friend who frequents that stretch, it seems that stretch of the road is quite smooth which gets people to overspeed.

Lot of times trucks drive on the right side forcing people to overtake from the left, which is what seems to have happened here. She was speeding and tried to overtake from left and lost control as the road suddenly became narrow at the bridge.

Two precious lives have been lost, could have been avoidable but trucks hogging the right lane on our highways are a menace, endangering smaller vehicles this way.

#WearRearSeatBelts
#StopHoggingTheFastLane

[Safari Persona]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

If you try to cover 100 kms in one hour through a busy highway(very different from a drag strip), you'd know that the normal time to distance formula is just on paper.

Not really sure I'm understanding how that works. Are you referring to the additional distance that a vehicle traverses because of lane changes on a busy highway? Because I can't think of anything else.

Even with that accounted for, 180-190 is a good 40% over the average speed of 133 that I mentioned, which is not exactly a rounding error. They seem to have derived the average speed based on the distance and time figures that they've specifically mentioned, so I'm still not sure how they're getting 180-190 from.

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I had a crash outside Abu Dhabi in 2007, at 160 KMPH. No external injury, Car was totaled.

If you don't mind, Can you share the details of the car and the crash?