Van ferrying school children hit by speeding SUV in Vasundhara, seven injured
There were 19 children in the in the mini traveller van. The SUV hit the van from one side and the van overturned on impact. About seven children got injured while others were safely rescued from the damaged van
At least seven children in a school van were injured after their vehicle overturned on being rammed by a speeding SUV in Vasundhara’s Sector 4 in Ghaziabad on Friday afternoon, senior police officers said, adding that they have seized the erring Tata Sumo and are trying to trace its absconding driver.
The police said the van was ferrying students of a private school in Vasundhara to their homes when the speeding SUV crashed into a side of the school van.
“There were 19 children in the in the mini traveller van. The SUV hit the van from one side and the van overturned on impact. About seven children got injured while others were safely rescued from the damaged van. The erring SUV was seized and a police team is trying to trace the driver who is on the run,” said Jitendra Singh Dikhit, station house officer, Indirapuram police station.
The SHO said he also visited the incident site and found that the students in the van were mostly from the primary classes of 1 to 5.
Van driver Monu Kumar said the erring SUV was travelling at 80km/hour.
“It was coming from the opposite side and was honking constantly. It hit my van and my van overturned, injuring seven children. Locals rushed to help and the school authorities also arrived at the spot and took the children to a nearby hospital. The SUV bore a sticker of an office-bearer of a political party on its front windscreen,” Kumar said.
Worried parents also reached the hospital where the children were taken.
“My eight-year-old son took stitches to the head and is still in the hospital. Of the injured children, three are still at the hospital while parents took home the other children after first-aid. The school authorities will give a police complaint,” said Harish Chander, a resident of Kanawani.
Shubham Patel, deputy commissioner of police (trans Hindon) said an FIR will soon be registered against the erring SUV driver.
“The vehicle has been seized and the driver will also be traced soon. We will also lodge an FIR as soon as we get a complaint. Appropriate action will be taken. None of the children suffered severe or critical injuries and all were taken to the hospital immediately,” the DCP said.