Greater Noida: 7-year-old girl killed in school bus hit-and-run; driver absconding

Police said the incident took place on Thursday after the girl, along with six or seven other children, got off the bus and began crossing the road.

A seven-year-old nursery student was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Greater Noida’s Dankaur after she allegedly came under the wheels of her school bus while crossing the road after being dropped off, police said on Friday. A case has been registered and efforts are underway to trace the driver.

Representational image.

Police said the incident took place on Thursday after the girl, along with six or seven other children, got off the bus and began crossing the road.

The child, along with three younger siblings, lived with her parents in Roshanpur area of Dankaur.

“On Thursday around 11.30am, school got over because of a half-day session. After an hour of travelling in the school bus, when the bus driver stopped near a dropping point in Roshanpur, six to seven children alighted from the bus along with the victim,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

The officer added that while the other children moved behind the bus to cross the road, the girl went to the front side in the absence of a helper on board.

“Except the victim, all other children moved to the back side to cross the road, while she moved to the front side in the absence of a helper in the bus. When she was about to cross from the front side, the bus driver accelerated and crushed her under the wheels from the driver’s side,” the officer said.

Police said the driver fled the scene with the vehicle instead of stopping, even though other children were still inside the bus.

Investigators said the sequence of events emerged from statements given by the children who had got off the bus with the victim.

“At the time of the incident, the minor’s grandmother was on the way to pick her up. It came to light that she wasn’t able to arrive in time because the school declared a half day without any prior intimation,” the official added.

The child was taken to a hospital after the police were alerted through the emergency helpline number 112, where doctors declared her dead. A post-mortem examination was later conducted.

Police said the bus driver dropped the remaining children at their designated points, then parked the vehicle behind the school in Talda, Greater Noida, before fleeing.

“The bus was seized, and efforts are underway to nab the driver,” the officer said.

“A case of rash driving and causing death by negligence was registered against the bus driver at Dankaur police station, and further investigation is underway,” Noida police said in a statement.

The police are also investigating why there was no helper present in the bus at the time of the incident.