A horrifying accident in Pune’s Wagholi area early Monday claimed the lives of three migrant workers, including two children, after a drunk truck driver lost control of his vehicle and ran over a family sleeping on the footpath. The victims were identified as Vishal Vinod Pawar (22), Vaibhav Ritesh Pawar (2), and his sister Vaibhavi Ritesh Pawar (1), all from Amravati. Six others were injured in the incident, including a woman, two teenagers, and a nine-year-old boy.

The accident occurred at Kesnand Phata Chowk when the intoxicated driver, Gajanan Shankar Totre (26), sped across the road divider, crashing into the group of 40 people who had been living by the roadside. The victims, daily wage laborers from rural Amravati and Wardha districts, were rushed to nearby hospitals, where three were declared dead. The injured received initial treatment before being transferred to Sassoon Hospital. Authorities have arrested Totre on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and for violations under the Motor Vehicle Act.

The tragedy highlights the dire living conditions of migrant workers in urban areas, where families often resort to sleeping on streets due to lack of shelter. Senior police officials are investigating the case, while the grieving families await justice. The police have urged stricter adherence to traffic laws to prevent such avoidable incidents in the future.