Cooperating with authorities probing Mistry car crash: Mercedes-Benz India

Mercedes-Benz India said on Tuesday that it is going to cooperate with authorities investigating the car crash that killed former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry.

Mistry (54) and his friend Jahangir Pandole (54) died on Sunday afternoon when their Mercedes GLC 220d 4MATIC car clashed with a road divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district.

Anahita Pandole (55), who was driving, and her husband Darius Pandole (60), both suffered serious injuries and are being treated at a private hospital in Mumbai.

On Tuesday, Mistry was cremated. The final rites were carried out in an electric crematorium in Worli, central Mumbai.

"As a responsible brand respecting customer privacy, our team is cooperating with the authorities where possible, and we will provide any clarifications to them directly as required," the automaker said in a statement.

As a responsible manufacturer, the German automaker mentioned that it would resume its efforts to improve road safety awareness while equipping its automobiles with the latest safety technologies and features.

"We are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole in the unfortunate road accident. At the same time we are glad to learn that Anahita Pandole and Darius Pandole are recovering. We wish them a speedy recovery," it noted.

Earlier in the day, a company team collected data from the vehicle, which will be decoded for further analysis. Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range, Sanjay Mohite, told PTI that an investigation will be handled into other details such as the car's tyre wear and brake pads level to evaluate the reason for the accident.

The vehicle has a "pre-safe system," which allows the front seat belts to be electrically pretensioned in dangerous situations. According to the Mercedes-Benz India website, the GLC's pre-safe system reduces occupant forward displacement during braking or skidding in an impending accident.

The accident happened on the Surya river bridge whereas the four people were moving from Gujarat to Mumbai.

The deceased were not wearing seat belts as per a preliminary probe, a police official earlier said, adding that over-speeding and an "error of judgement" by the driver caused the accident.

Prima facie, the luxury car was speeding when the accident took place, the official had said.