The man, identified as 22-year-old Ganesh Vitthal, lost the balance of his bike while maneuvering his way on a choppy patch and was mowed down by a tanker coming from the opposite direction. The incident happened on Diva-Agasan Road in the Thane district near Mumbai.

CCTV video showed the youth losing his balance due to a pit on the road and a tanker then mowing him down, probably killing him on the spot.

Pothole accidents remain a concern in India. The government, in December, informed the Parliament that over 3,500 road accidents occurred in the year 2020 due to potholes.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that 4,775 and 3,564 accidents occurred in the years 2019 and 2020, respectively, due to potholes. Vitthal’s death has politicized the issue of potholes with the Eknath Shinde government coming under attack over the conditions of roads. Raju Patil, an MNS legislator, questioned pothole-related road mishaps. He tweeted the video of the incident and said, “how many more victims?”