Massive Pile-Up on Mumbai-Pune Expressway: One Dead, 18 Injured as Container Truck Rams 20 Vehicles

A major accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday afternoon left one woman dead and at least 18 others injured when a speeding container trailer truck reportedly lost control after a brake failure and ploughed into nearly 20 vehicles. The incident occurred near the Adoshi tunnel under Khopoli police station limits, in Khalapur taluka of Raigad district, bringing traffic to a standstill for almost five kilometres on one of India’s busiest expressways.

According to police officials, the container truck—allegedly travelling at high speed—suffered brake failure and slammed into a queue of vehicles, including several luxury cars such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The immense impact left at least three vehicles completely crushed, with several others badly damaged. Nineteen injured victims were rushed to a private hospital in Navi Mumbai, where a woman succumbed to her injuries during treatment.

Authorities quickly responded to the scene, with emergency teams working to rescue the injured, clear the wreckage, and manage the chaos. Traffic in the area came to a halt, prompting officials to divert vehicles via alternative routes to ease the jam. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which typically sees a daily volume of 150,000 to 200,000 vehicles—numbers that spike on weekends—was paralysed for hours as a result of the pile-up.

Khopoli police took the driver of the container truck into custody. However, a medical examination confirmed that he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. “The driver is in custody; a case has been registered and further investigation is underway,” said a police spokesperson. The accident has reignited concerns over road safety, especially in the high-risk ghat sections of the expressway, where heavy vehicles descending steep gradients are frequently implicated in major crashes.

Public reaction on social media and local networks was swift, with many expressing outrage over recurring expressway accidents and demanding stricter enforcement of maintenance norms for heavy vehicles. The incident highlights persistent and serious challenges for traffic authorities, particularly regarding heavy vehicles operating on the steep downhill stretches between Lonavala and Khalapur.

Despite advances such as the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), which has helped reduce accidents in recent months, today’s crash underscores the urgent need for better regulation, vehicle inspections, and safety protocols to prevent future tragedies on this critical corridor.