Police said the eight youths were driving the stolen car opposite the Amar Car Bazar near ASPT when it collided with a truck heading for Pune from Andhra Pradesh around 2.30 am.

Traffic on the state highway was thrown out of gear for nearly two hours since the truck overturned due to the impact of the collision. The traffic limped back to normal only after both the vehicles were towed away.

The dead were identified as Vijay Dnyandeo Sathe (19) and Shiva Bhimrao Sonawane (25). Truck driver Shyam Sidram Swamy (31) of Kasarashta village in Umerga tahsil of Osmanabad district and Ashok Bhagvan Kamble (15) of Ramtekdi, who were injured in the mishap, are undergoing treatment at the Sassoon hospital. The hospital authorities said they are in stable condition.

Police said Shiva and Vijay had stolen Sunil P Shah's Maruti car (MVG 8200) from Fatimanagar. Shah had reported the theft of his car at the Wanowrie police station.

The two youths along with their six accomplices allegedly set out to strike at the jewellery shops on the highway after 2 pm. The injured truck driver claimed that the car was at such a high speed at the time of accident that he could not do anything to avoid the collision.

Shiva and Vijay's accomplices, who escaped with some minor bruises, fled from the spot leaving their seriously wounded friends in a hapless condition.

The profusely bleeding injured were later shifted to hospital by the drivers of vehicles plying on the state highway. The fact that the youths were going to commit dacoities came to light only after the police found several swords, crowbars, iron rods and packs of chilly powder stashed in the car and started inquiring about it.