MUMBAI: On her social media profiles, Riddhi Thakkar described herself in two words that captured the two sides of her life: makeup artist and rider.At 24, the Mumbai biker had built an identity around motorcycles, long-distance rides and the freedom she associated with life on two wheels.Her YouTube channel, @Ridewithridz, described her as a biker determined to “carve my own path in a world where the throttle doesn’t care about gender” — a glimpse into how she saw riding not merely as a hobby, but as part of her identity.Thakkar died on Wednesday morning on National Highway 30 in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district after her motorcycle was hit by an unidentified heavy vehicle while she was travelling towards Bastar with a group of bikers. Police said the vehicle fled the scene and efforts were underway to trace it and its driver.A journey she had been sharing onlineThe Bastar trip was not a journey that began with the group in Chhattisgarh. Riddhi had ridden from Mumbai to Chhattisgarh on her motorcycle before joining the other bikers in Raipur.Just days before the fatal crash, she had posted information about her solo ride from Mumbai to Chhattisgarh on Instagram. A day before the accident, she shared another photograph of herself on the platform.Those posts now offer a glimpse of the journey she had undertaken just before it ended on NH-30.Her online presence showed that riding was central to her life. On Ridewithridz, she wrote about solo rides, road trips, motorcycle reviews, riding tips, gear guides and the “real, unfiltered moments” of life on the road.She also spoke about wanting to challenge stereotypes around women riders and inspire other women to take up motorcycling.“I’m here to break stereotypes, inspire others (especially women) to chase freedom on two wheels, and build a community where all riders are welcome.”Her channel also described her as someone documenting the ups, downs and milestones of her riding journey, along with moto-vlogs, travel stories and the biker lifestyle.From a solo ride to a group journeyAfter reaching Raipur, Riddhi joined a group of around 20 motorbikers from Maharashtra and other states who were travelling towards the Bastar region.At around 6am on Wednesday, near Markatola Ghat under Purur police station limits, Riddhi’s motorcycle was hit by the unidentified heavy vehicle, police said.A fellow rider told police that she, Riddhi and another biker were travelling behind the main group when the accident occurred.The impact left Riddhi seriously injured, particularly in her legs. The heavy vehicle fled immediately after the collision.Her fellow riders called the police helpline Dial 112, following which an emergency response vehicle took her to Charama Community Health Centre in neighbouring Kanker district. Given the severity of her condition, she was later referred to a private hospital in Dhamtari.Doctors there declared her dead on arrival, police said.The unanswered final stretchThe circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation. Police are trying to identify the heavy vehicle and its driver and are expected to examine CCTV footage from stretches around the accident site for clues.For now, the final stretch of Riddhi’s journey remains marked by unanswered questions — but her digital trail leaves behind a clearer picture of the young woman behind the motorcycle.She had presented herself online not simply as someone who rode bikes, but as a woman determined to make riding part of her independence, identity and message to others.Her final journey to Bastar, which began with a solo ride from Mumbai, ended just days later on a highway in Chhattisgarh.(With agency inputs)
