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Days after Delhi SUV crash, teens survive car accident during joyride in Kerala
According to an official, the parents had no idea what had happened and realised only after the police informed them of the incident.
Days after a 17-year-old crashed an SUV in Delhi's Dwarka, a late-night joyride by a 14-year-old boy and his school friend in the family car ended in an accident in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
The boy allegedly took out the car after locking up his parents in their house. The vehicle plunged several feet down from the roadside in the Karmana area at around 2am after breaking through the railing, and flipped over, according to visuals on local TV channels.
"Miraculously", both boys were not injured in the incident and climbed back up to the road on their own, police officials quoted in a PTI report said.
The boys had gone on a joyride through the city from Kannammoola, ending at the Karamana-Thampanoor road.
According to an official, the parents had no idea what had happened and realised only after the police informed them of the incident.
The officer said that a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the car's registered owner, the mother.
The police also informed about the rise in such incidents recently, of children locking up their parents inside their homes and roaming around the city or running away.
The Dwarka SUV crash
The accident in Kerala comes just days after a 17-year-old crashed a speeding SUV in the Dwarka area of Delhi on February 3. The vehicle, allegedly being used to film a social media video, collided with a motorcycle and a taxi, claiming the life of a 23-year-old Sahil and leaving a cab driver seriously injured.
The Delhi Police have booked the father under the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act for allowing a minor to drive.
A fresh video of the aftermath surfaced on social media on Wednesday. Recorded by a passerby, the video shows the victim lying on the road and the SUV at the crash site. The accused and his sister are also seen being stopped by locals.
Speaking to PTI, the father said he was away from the capital on business when the incident took place.
"I was in Gorakhpur for work when I got a call on February 3 informing me that my son had met with an accident. I returned to Delhi immediately and received the details from the police," he said.
Expressing grief over Sahil's death, the father said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life.
"I sincerely apologise to the mother who lost her son. I am ready to seek her forgiveness and will follow whatever decision the law and judiciary make," he said.
He added that as a parent, he could understand the pain the bereaved family is experiencing. "I do not dare to face the grieving mother because I can never undo her loss."
He maintained that his commercial vehicles are operated by managers and drivers, and that all related records are transparent and verifiable. He described the incident as a "big mistake" by his son and vowed it would never happen again.
