By Admin 
A horrific road accident took place at ‘Happy Bar’ junction in Assagaon, North Goa, in which a rented Mahindra Thar SUV hit a Hyundai i20 car from behind. 65 year old tourist Bhagatram Sharma from Bhopal died in this accident. Two other members of his family traveling with him suffered minor injuries, including a 5-month-old infant who survived.
Thar was going towards Anjuna beach
This accident happened on the evening of Monday, 23 February 2026, when Thar (registration GA-03-V-5695) was going towards Anjuna and i20 (GA-08-AB-6685) was going from Assagaon towards Parra. According to the police, the Thar was speeding and driving recklessly, due to which it lost control and hit the i20. One side of the i20 was completely damaged. Bhagatram Sharma was taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Three other women in Thar with the accused
19 year old Shaurya Goyal has been made the main accused in the FIR. The allegation is of death due to rash and negligent driving. The Thar was rented and apart from Shaurya, there were at least three women in it. Police have seized the Thar and investigation is underway.
Who was the Thar driver at the time of the accident?
Local people and eyewitnesses have claimed that a girl was driving the Thar at the time of the accident. A local said, ‘First the girl was driving, then the driver was changed.’
Many people allege that immediately after the accident, the Thar riders tried to swap seats so that the female driver could be saved. In the video viral on social media, a male rider of Thar is heard saying on the phone, ‘Papa, I was at the intersection…’ In the video, three women are seen sitting behind the Thar and one woman is seen hiding her face.
Police in search of real driver
The police is investigating these claims. The real driver is being traced on the basis of forensic evidence, eyewitness statements and available video footage. There was tension at the spot after the accident, as the local people accused the Thar riders of saving the accused.
This incident is raising questions on road safety during the tourist season in Goa. Police have said that further action will be taken after the investigation is completed. If the allegation of seat swap is proved then the charges may change.