Pune, July 19, 2025 — A serious accident took place near the Shell petrol pump in Bhukum (Taluka Mulshi) on Friday evening due to oil spillage on the road, leading to multiple motorcycle skids. In a terrifying incident, a woman named Vrushali Ram Gaikwad, a resident of Shindewadi, was dragged for approximately 300 feet under a moving tempo. She miraculously survived the ordeal — thanks to the protective helmet she was wearing.
According to police officials, oil had spilled on the road near Bhukum on Friday evening, but no precautionary measures were taken to prevent accidents. As a result, five two-wheeler riders skidded and met with accidents in that area.
Vrushali was returning home from work around 7 PM when her two-wheeler slipped on the oil-slicked road. As she was trying to get up, a tempo speeding from Pune towards Pirangut ran over her. The rear wheel of the tempo trapped her helmet, and she was dragged for nearly 300 feet.
Shockingly, the tempo driver was unaware of the accident. Alert locals immediately screamed at the driver to stop the vehicle. Displaying remarkable presence of mind, Vrushali warned the bystanders not to move the vehicle backward or forward, as the rear wheel was lodged over her head. The villagers lifted the vehicle and safely pulled her out. She was then rushed to a private hospital.
The driver of the tempo, Mayur Rajesh Kandhare, a resident of Bhukum, has been arrested by the police. The case was registered on the complaint of Nitin Jaysing Gaikwad. The investigation is currently underway, led by Inspector Anil Vibhute and Naik P. B. Kale of the Bavdhan Police Outpost.
Helmet Saved Her Life
Vrushali suffered only minor injuries, but the helmet she wore was completely shattered, indicating the severity of the impact. “If I hadn’t worn the helmet, I wouldn’t have survived,” she reportedly told her father, Ram, in her first phone call after being rescued.
The incident underscores the critical importance of wearing helmets while riding two-wheelers. In Vrushali’s case, it was the difference between life and death.
