A 43-year-old flower vendor lost his life after his Activa scooter was hit from behind by a speeding car that first crashed into a pickup truck from behind and then hit the two-wheeler in the Meenatai Thackeray flower market, Dadar (West), at 5.32am on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Ravindra Gupta. However, the driver is currently absconding, and police efforts are underway to locate him.

Eyewitnesses said that the driver, Neeraj Sudhakar Shetty, 29, was driving recklessly at high speed, leading to the accident. Local people rushed Gupta to KEM Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Gupta had been selling flowers at Dadar flower market for many years. He was a resident of Katemanewali, Kalyan, and commuted daily to Dadar for work. Following the accident, his nephew, Amarjeet Gupta lodged a complaint at the Dadar police station.

The case has been registered under section 304(A) (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving), and other relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Local residents have urged the authorities to implement better traffic control and safety measures around the flower market to prevent such incidents in the future.