Reversing water tanker runs over 18-month-old boy in Pune's Warje area

Pune: An 18-month-old boy died after a water tanker driving in reverse gear ran over him near Ganapati Matha in Warje around 7.30pm on Saturday.

The Warje police identified the victim as Adhoshak Mahesh Wahale. The boy came under the rear wheels of the tanker.

The tanker driver had put the vehicle in reverse gear after supplying water to a society located in a narrow lane.

"The driver had no space to turn around the tanker after supplying water to the society. He had to reverse the vehicle to come out of the lane. At this moment, the boy standing behind the tanker came under the rear wheels," senior inspector Vishwajeet Kaingade of the Warje police told TOI.

The police seized the tanker and arrested its driver, Sunny Pyare Baraskar (33) of Betul, Madhya Pradesh.

Authorities from the regional transport office (RTO) are yet to study the tanker.

"It was the duty of the tanker driver to watch the mirror and check if anyone was behind the vehicle. He neglected this duty," Kaingade said.

An autorickshaw driver, Satish Tikare (65), who stays in the same building, lodged a complaint with the police after witnessing the accident.

Kaingade said, "The parents of the deceased boy are software engineers. They were not present in the open space on the society premises when the accident occurred."