VALPOI: Weekend off-road adventure of a seven-member group with a jeep turned tragic at Saleli in Valpoi on Sunday.
According to the Valpoi police, a teenager died while one was seriously injured when their jeep bearing registration number GA 11 A 8105 carrying seven persons, who were enjoying an off-road adventure trip along the Saleli waterfall road in Sattari taluka, fell from a height into a ravine.
“The muddy road was narrow and not used for vehicular traffic. The jeep fell from a height into a ravine due to which one of the occupants of the vehicle Anush Barde (18), a resident of Jonuswada, Mandrem, sustained injuries and succumbed to the same,” said police inspector Pednekar. He said Kishore Parsekar, who was critically injured, has been admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim.
According to police, the group was under the influence of alcohol and heading towards the source of the waterfall in their jeep on the rocky terrain.
Sattari has several beautiful small and big waterfalls, which become an attraction for locals and tourists, especially during monsoon. Though police and other departments have initiated a drive to stop the carrying of alcohol at these places, people now consume alcohol and visit these waterfalls.
Many locals at these locations complain that tourists under the influence of alcohol drive rashly. Alcohol consumption by drivers puts pedestrians and riders of two-wheelers at risk. Locals have urged the traffic police to detect these drunk drivers by using breath analyser so that such incidents can be controlled.