Woman killed, 18 injured in massive pile-up on Mumbai–Pune expressway

A woman died and at least 18 others sustained injuries on Saturday afternoon after a container trailer truck reportedly lost control and rammed into nearly 20 vehicles on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, causing a massive pile-up near the Adoshi tunnel in Raigad district.

According to officials, the incident occurred within the Khopoli police station limits in Khalapur taluka. The container truck, allegedly speeding, is believed to have suffered brake failure before crashing into a vehicle and triggering a chain-reaction collision. The impact was devastating, crushing several vehicles — including high-end cars like BMWs and Mercedes — and leaving dozens stranded.

"The driver lost control following a brake failure and collided with multiple vehicles. Nineteen people sustained injuries and were rushed to a private hospital in Navi Mumbai. Unfortunately, one woman succumbed to her injuries during treatment," a police official said.

The driver has been taken into custody by Khopoli police. A medical examination confirmed that he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

The crash led to significant traffic congestion on one of India’s busiest expressways, with vehicle movement brought to a standstill near Datta Food Mall, shortly after the descent from the Lonavala–Khandala ghat. The resulting tailback extended over five kilometres as emergency response teams rushed to the site to aid the injured and remove debris.

Authorities diverted traffic through alternate routes while police and local officials worked round the clock to clear the area and restore normalcy.