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Class 12 student rams car into pedestrians in Lucknow; 6-year-old boy killed, 4 injured
Police said the student was returning with a friend after attending a farewell party at his school when the accident occurred.
A Class 12 student was taken into custody by police after his car rammed into an autorickshaw and pedestrians on Kanpur Road in Lucknow's Banthra, Uttar Pradesh, killing a six-year-old boy and injuring four others on Thursday evening.
Police said the student was returning with a friend after attending a farewell party at his school when the accident occurred. He allegedly left his friend at the scene and fled with the car.
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“The accused had reportedly borrowed the car from a friend and holds a valid driving licence. His father owns a cement shop in the area,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Krishnanagar Rajneesh Verma said.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Nipun Agarwal, the driver is 21 years old as per his driving licence. “We are trying to determine why he is still in Class 12 at 21. We are also questioning the girl who was with him, who is said to be a minor,” the DCP added.
The accident occurred around 6 pm on Thursday. Those injured were identified as Armaan (12), Awadh Bihari (42), Sadhna Verma (35), and Meena Devi (60). The deceased was six-year-old Dikshant Patel.
“All the injured were taken to a hospital for treatment. Dikshant Patel was critically injured and died during treatment,” the DCP said. “The vehicle has been seized, all the injured are stable, and two have been discharged,” he added.
A CCTV video of the incident, widely shared on social media, shows the car speeding. It first hit a biker before ramming into an autorickshaw and several pedestrians, causing panic in the busy market area.
Pramod Kumar, a resident of Sahijanpur, had parked his bike and was buying items from a nearby shop when the car struck it. As bystanders tried to stop the driver, he allegedly sped away, lost control, and ploughed into pedestrians along the crowded market stretch.
Police said the driver fled in the car but left behind a minor girl who had been accompanying him. Locals detained her and handed her over to the police. During questioning, she reportedly identified the driver and their school.
