Nagpur: A 44-year-old pedestrian tragically lost his life after being struck by a speeding school van near the Amravati-Nagpur Highway on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred around 12:30 pm in the Wadi police jurisdiction.

The deceased has been identified as Mahendra Gajanan Vaidya, a resident of Wadi and an employee at a private company, Exxon. According to police, Mahendra was walking along the road near a solar company on the highway when a school van, bearing registration number MH 31 DS 5615, hit him at high speed.

Eyewitnesses reported that the van driver was allegedly driving in a reckless manner and lost control of the vehicle, resulting in the fatal collision. Mahendra sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Mayo Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s brother, Hemraj Gajanan Vaidya (46), a resident of Nandanvan Slum in Wadi, police have registered an offence under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the school van driver.

Wadi police have launched an investigation and are examining CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts to determine the exact cause of the accident.