Ghaziabad: School children injured as Gypsy hits e-rickshaw

The e-rickshaw was ferrying schoolchildren from their school in Rajendra Nagar to their homes around 2pm when the errant vehicle hit the e-rickshaw from the front

Five children of a private school in Sahibabad sustained injuries after the e-rickshaw they were travelling in was allegedly hit by a Maruti Gypsy van near Ram Manohar Lohiya Park in Sahibabad on Monday afternoon, senior police officers said.

The errant vehicle had “escort” written on it, said police, adding that it was not currently being used as an escort vehicle. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Police said the children sustained only minor injuries while one child suffered a fracture to the hand.

Police said the e-rickshaw was ferrying schoolchildren from their school in Rajendra Nagar to their homes around 2pm when the errant vehicle hit the e-rickshaw from the front.

The errant vehicle had “escort” written on it, said police, adding that it was not currently being used as an escort vehicle.

“The e-rickshaw and the van were damaged while five children were injured. One of the children sustained a fracture to the hand. All children are stable and we have arrested the Gypsy van driver, Guddu (single name). The vehicle belongs to a man from Gokulpuri in Delhi. Till February this year, this vehicle was used as an escort vehicle in the motorcade of a maha mandleshwar (a monk heading a religious group),” said Rajneesh Upadhyaya, assistant commissioner of police, Sahibabad.

The ACP said the vehicle was detached from the escort duty after the security given to maha mandleshwar was withdrawn in February.

“This vehicle was in Delhi since then. Guddu, the driver, had brought the vehicle to Ghaziabad on Monday for getting it serviced when the accident happened. We have arrested Guddu and are in the process of registering a first information report (FIR) against him for rash and negligent driving and causing hurt under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS),” Upadhyaya said.

Police said the vehicle was impounded following the accident. Further probe is on, they said.