Three of a family, two children among them, killed as unidentified vehicle hits pedestrians in Shirur

Pune, October 31, 2026: An unidentified speeding vehicle hit four pedestrians from behind late on Thursday night at Ambale village in the Shirur area. A 61-year-old woman and two children, aged 11 and 13, all from the same family, died in the accident. A 42-year-old woman is seriously injured.

The accident took place on the Nhavare-Shirur road, in front of Kesari Hotel, at about 11 pm. The four had gone to a kirtan held as part of a week-long religious programme in the village and were walking home from there. After the collision, the driver fled with the vehicle without stopping to help the victims.

The dead have been identified as Kaushalya Vasant Zhende (61), her grandson Soham Rajiv Zhende (13) and Aarushi Dattatray Zhende (11). All three lived in Ambale. Jyoti Rajiv Zhende (42) has suffered serious injuries and is being treated at a private hospital in Shirur.

According to the police, Jyoti, her mother-in-law Kaushalya, her son Soham and Aarushi, the daughter of a relative living nearby, were walking home along the roadside after the programme. A speeding vehicle travelling from Nhavare towards Shirur then hit them from behind. The impact was so strong that all four fell on the road. Soham and Aarushi died on the spot, while Kaushalya died during treatment.

Shirur police have registered a case against the unidentified driver on a complaint by Santosh Anil Zhende (36), a resident of Ambale.

The police have formed three teams to trace the vehicle and its driver. Investigators are going through CCTV footage from the accident site and the Nhavare-Shirur road. Details of vehicles that passed along the route around the time of the accident are also being collected.