India, Aug. 4 -- Seconds after his car began rolling down a rain-soaked hillside, 59-year-old Mohit Bhatnagar appeared headed for certain death. Instead, a tilted tree halted the vehicle's 60-foot plunge into a gorge near Garmal village in Raigad's Khalapur taluka, giving rescuers just enough time to pull him out alive.

The accident took place around 11.45 am on a hilly stretch near Garmal, a popular viewpoint overlooking the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link Valley Bridge.

According to the Borghat Highway Police, Mohit had driven to the spot in his Skoda to enjoy the view of the valley bridge. Police said he allegedly ventured onto an unpaved mud track to get a closer look at the structure.

The decision nearly proved fatal. As Bhatn...