A tragic accident took place on Sunday on the Bhavnagar-Ahmedabad expressway near Mundiya crossroads in Dholera. Two cars crashed, killing four people, including three from the same family. Just 13 days ago, a similar accident on the same highway near Sandhida had claimed five lives, including four from one family.
Shyamuben Keshubhai Maru (75), a resident of Ahmedabad, was travelling with her daughter-in-law Geetaben Maru (50) and grandson Mihir Maru (29) in a SUV car, heading toward Bhavnagar from Ahmedabad.
Coming from the opposite direction was Akibbhai Arifbhai Dabbawala (31), a scrap dealer in Bhavnagar driving a compact sedan toward Ahmedabad.
Around Sunday noon, both cars collided near Mundiya crossroads on the expressway near Dholera.
Due to the severity of the collision, Shyamuben and her grandson Mihir died on the spot, while Akibbhai also succumbed to his injuries immediately. Geetaben, who was seriously injured, was rushed to Sir T Hospital in Bhavnagar via a 108 emergency ambulance. Despite efforts, she passed away during treatment, raising the death toll to four.
Upon receiving information, a large contingent of Dholera police rushed to the accident scene and cleared the damaged vehicles to restore normal traffic flow. The police also contacted the deceased’s families and initiated the process of lodging a formal complaint.
The tragic accident has shattered the Maru family. According to close sources, Shyamuben’s husband had also died in a road accident while serving in the police department. Her only son, Pankajbhai, had married Geetaben and they had a son, Mihir. However, Pankajbhai had passed away a few years ago due to a heart attack. The Maru household consisted only of the grandmother, mother, and son — all of whom perished in this accident.
Frequent accidents on Ahmedabad – Dholera Expressway
The Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway has been under construction for six years and is almost finished, with just some final work left.
However, frequent diversions near Dholera are still confusing drivers and causing accidents. Recently, top officials from the police, local administration, and R&B department visited the site and told workers to put up clear signs and finish the work quickly. Even with these steps, accidents are still happening.