According to police, Kunal Nanda, 26, a resident of Chakala, was driving from Dharavi to Jain Colony when he lost control of the vehicle and headed straight towards a group of people waiting at a bus stop outside gate number 7 of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital.

The victims, who were waiting to catch a late night bus to Raigad, were immediately rushed to the hospital. Ramesh Palkar, 26, however, died on the spot.

His brother has filed a case of rash and negligent driving against Nanda at the Sion police station.

The condition of six — Rahul Bhure, 13, Balaram Dasade, 45, Vikas Shinde, 22, Anand Bhurte, 30, Jayendra Dhumal, 30, and Dinesh Palkar, 35 — is critical.

Of them, Palkar had to have a leg amputated.

According to Sion police, Nanda did not try to help the victims. “Nanda wasn’t drunk when the accident happened,” said an officer of Sion police station. “He claims in his statement that he fell asleep at the wheel, which is why he lost control. However, he was speeding. He was released on a bail of Rs 20,000 as he was booked under bailable sections,” he said.

However, the victims’ relatives and friends at the hospital are not convinced of the version. “I don’t believe that he could have fallen asleep at the wheel,” said Harshad Bhure, whose younger brother Rahul, 15, and father Lakshman Bhure, 55, are admitted to the hospital.

“I saw the accident and I’m sure he must have been drunk. He ran over my brother in such a speed that his clothes were burnt,” he said showing his brother’s shirt and trousers. “Some people were stuck under the car and so we had to overturn the car to get them out,” he said.

The Bhures live in Prateeksha Nagar in Mumbai and were returning to their hometown in Raigad.