International shooter Sambhaji Patil killed in a road accident
Friend Yash Choudhary, also a shooter, was reportedly behind the wheel
Patil declared dead on arrival at hospital, Choudhary injured
Sambhaji Patil, an international shooter who claimed gold medal in the 2016 Junior World Cup, was killed in a road accident on Monday (February 9, 2026) when his car hit a truck on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Palghar district of Maharashtra.
The incident took place in the morning when Patil was travelling in a car, a Toyota Fortuner, driven by his friend who is also a shooter, to Gujarat for shooting practice, PTI quoted an official as saying. A resident of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the 27-year-old Patil was seated next to the driver's seat while Yash Choudhary was at the wheel.
"The car, which was speeding, rammed into a truck from the left side while attempting to overtake it," the official said, adding that Patil sustained serious injuries. The report quoted another police station official as saying that the accident occurred when Choudhary tried to change a lane on the highway at high speed and did not notice the heavy truck. The impact was so severe that the front portion of the high-end car was mangled.
Patil was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the official said, adding that Choudhary was injured in the incident. Patil's family members reached the hospital in the evening. His last rites will be performed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. A case of accidental death has been registered at Manor police station in Palghar, the official added.
Patil had claimed a gold medal in the 25-metre standard pistol shooting category in the Junior World Cup held in Azerbaijan in 2016. He stood 23rd in the World Championship in the same category in 2017.
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According to the International Shooting Sports Federation’s (ISSF) website, Patil was trained by ace shooter-turned coach Jaspal Rana. Patil had also served as a sports officer at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.
