Pune, Mar 17 (IANS): At least three persons were killed when a speeding car rammed into a stationery goods laden truck parked on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday, police said here.

The crash took place near the Urse village around 7.30 a.m. when the car virtually drove into the truck that had suffered a tyre burst and repairs were underway.

The impact was so powerful that the car almost fully went under the loaded truck and was crushed, killing the three occupants on the spot, said a local eyewitness.

Among the victims are the vehicle driver and two others and the accident occurred on one of the busiest spots on the Expressway.

Two victims have been identified as Rahul B. Kulkarni, 45, and Vijay V. Khaire, 70, while the identity of the third victim is being ascertained.

Following the accident, there was a traffic jam on the affected Mumbai-Pune arm of the highway which was cleared soon by the local police, highway patrol and volunteer groups.

Though the exact causes of the crash are not clear, police suspect that the driver probably may have lost control or was dozing at the wheel.