Horror on the Highway: Five Dead, One Critically Injured in Samruddhi Expressway Crash

WARDHA, MAHARASHTRA — In a devastating reminder of the ongoing safety hazards plaguing major transport corridors, five people were killed and one was left fighting for life following a horrific pre-dawn collision on the Samruddhi Expressway on Monday, July 20, 2026.

The catastrophic accident occurred near the Virul Interchange (Interchange 80) in the Wardha district under the jurisdiction of the Pulgaon Police Station.

According to Wardha Police, the tragedy unfolded around 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM when a speeding Eicher cargo truck heading toward Nagpur rammed violently into the back of a passenger car. The impact was so severe that the car immediately burst into a ball of flames, trapping the occupants inside.

Four passengers inside the car, including the driver, were charred to death and died on the spot, completely unable to escape the burning wreckage. The force of the crash was also fatal to the driver of the Eicher truck, who succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the collision.

"As the car caught fire instantly, the passengers had no chance to escape and were burnt to death inside the vehicle," a police officer stated.

The sole survivor of the horrific crash is the cleaner of the Eicher truck. He sustained critical, life-threatening injuries and was rushed by emergency teams to a nearby medical facility, where he remains under intensive care.

The disaster was heavily exacerbated by a separate accident that happened hours prior. A tanker carrying highly inflammable ethanol had overturned near the exact same spot, forcing authorities to shut down one side of the highway. Because only a single lane was open to manage traffic, the speeding cargo truck driver reportedly lost control, culminating in the fatal rear-ends crash.

Highway Police and local Pulgaon Police rushed to the scene to launch a delicate rescue and clearing operation, given the highly volatile presence of the overturned ethanol tanker nearby.

Following the accident, the bodies of the five deceased individuals were recovered and shifted to the Pulgaon Rural Hospital for post-mortem examinations. Meanwhile, heavy congestion built up along the Mumbai-Nagpur route, prompting police to divert vehicles onto the Nagpur-Amravati Highway as a safety precaution.

A formal case has been registered by the local authorities as investigators work to determine if driver fatigue, poor visibility, or extreme speeding caused the truck to trigger the chain reaction on the notoriously hazardous expressway.