Ludhiana: Major tragedy averted as speeding truck hits, drags school van

The Doraha Police reached the spot and initiated investigation; the police rounded up the driver of the truck, who told the police that due to dense fog, he could not notice the school bus parked on the roadside

A major tragedy was averted after an over-speeding truck hit a stationary school van and dragged it for at least 20 metres when it over turned on the road at Southern Bypass near Ajnod village in Doraha on Tuesday.

The truck then crashed into a tree. At the time of the incident, two students, a driver and an attendant were in the school van. They suffered minor injuries. (HT Photo)

The truck then crashed into a tree. At the time of the incident, two students, a driver and an attendant were in the school van. They suffered minor injuries.

The Doraha Police reached the spot and initiated investigation. The police rounded up the driver of the truck, who told the police that due to dense fog, he could not notice the school bus parked on the roadside.

The incident occurred at around 8 am when a bus of Delhi World Public School reached Ajnod village to pick students and teachers. The driver stopped the bus on the roadside near Gurdwara Baba Shaheed to pick a teacher when the truck hit the bus from the backside.

The driver of the bus stated that the bus over turned, but the truck kept on dragging the bus for at least 20 metres. The bus rammed into a tree on the roadside and stopped which averted a major tragedy as the bus could have fallen into a pothole and things could have worsened.

After the mishap, the locals gathered there and initiated a rescue operation. They broke the window panes of the bus to rescue the occupants of the bus and informed the police.

Inspector Vijay Kumar, SHO at Doraha Police station, stated that the driver claimed that he failed to notice the bus due to thick fog. The police have been investigating the matter and asked the bus driver to record his statement to lodge an FIR.

The police have seized both the vehicles involved in the mishap. The occupants of the bus suffered minor injuries, who were sent home after administering first aid.

Vulnerable to road mishaps

On January 29, an eight-year-old girl was crushed under a truck near the Jassian cut of Jalandhar Bypass when she was waiting to cross the road with her brother and mother. Condition of her brother is stated to be serious.

On January 28, an over-speeding SUV hit a man to death and injured two others, including an assistant sub-inspector near Dholewal.