Rider dies after bike rams concrete base of signboard

Kolhapur: A 24-year-old motorcyclist died after his bike rammed the concrete base of a roadside signboard along Hatkanangle-Kumbhoj road around 5.24pm on Monday. The impact threw the biker several feet into the air, after which he crashed onto a paving block and then hit a tree trunk. The Hatkanangle police identified the deceased as Saurabh Ajit Gazi of Dudhgaon village in Miraj tehsil of Sangli district. The accident occurred when Gazi was riding towards Kumbhoj to meet his brother. He had planned to return later to Karad in Satara district, where he was employed at a private firm. "Gazi's bike, moving at a high speed, veered slightly off the road due to a sandy slope. While attempting to get back onto the road, the motorcycle struck the concrete base of a roadside board. The collision was so forceful that Gazi, still holding the handlebars, was flung off the seat as the bike lifted into the air. He first hit the pavement, then the trunk of a tree and the motorcycle landed on him moments later," an officer said.The police said the entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras. "An ambulance reached the spot within minutes. Gazi was rushed to a hospital in Ichalkaranji, where doctors declared him brought dead," the officer said.The police examined the accident site. Local residents told police that the stretch was accident-prone, noting that a fatal crash involving a car and a motorcycle had occurred at a sharp turn just two months ago. "The residents told us that the roadside edges were sandy, causing vehicles to slip if not controlled, a factor that might have contributed to the accident involving Gazi," the officer said.Another officer said, "We have registered a case under BNS sections related to rash driving. We will also investigate whether the roadside board was installed in a hazardous manner."Gazi died due to severe head injury and damage to the spine, the officer said, citing doctor's preliminary report.