Maharashtra minister Sanjay Rathod’s car hits pickup van in Yavatmal district; one injured: Police

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Sanjay Rathod’s car crashed into a pickup van in the state's Yavatmal district in the early hours of Friday, injuring the driver of the second vehicle, an official said.

The minister escaped without injuries as the airbags of his car deployed during the accident around 2 am at Kopra village near Digras under the jurisdiction of the Arni police station, he said.

The state minister of soil and water conservation was going towards Yavatmal from Poharadevi in neighbouring Washim district after reviewing the preparations ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the area on Saturday.

During the travel, Rathod’s car rammed into a pickup, injuring the second vehicle's driver, he said.

Another official said Rathod, who is also the guardian minister of Yavatmal district, got the pickup driver admitted to a hospital.

Addressing a press conference at Yavatmal later, Rathod said one of the cars in his convoy was involved in the accident and he was sitting in a different vehicle.

The minister said he promptly sent the injured pickup driver to the hospital for treatment.

PM Modi is scheduled to perform darshan at Jagdamba Mata Temple, Poharadevi, in Washim on Saturday.

There, he will also inaugurate the Banjara Virasat Museum, celebrating the rich heritage of the Banjara community, and launch projects worth Rs 23,300 crore related to the agricultural and animal husbandry sector.