A five-year-old kindergarten student of The Air Force School, Subroto Park, was killed when her private school van jumped a traffic signal and crashed into a Maruti Swift on Tuesday in Dhaula Kuan, Southwest Delhi.
The cab driver, Sumit, has been arrested and booked for rash and negligent driving, causing death by negligence and under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Gauri Trivedi and seven other children were in the Maruti Omni, being driven by Sumit, when it jumped the traffic signal on Cariappa Marg (opposite Dhaula Kuan Metro station) at 1.35 pm, police said. According to police, Sumit does not have a permit for the school van.
Police said Sumit was speeding and did not see the Swift till the last moment. After jumping the signal, Sumit swerved left to avoid a crash, but the vehicles grazed each other. The impact pushed the van on the pavement and it fell on the left side of the road, police said.
So severe was the impact that Gauri, who was in the passenger seat next to the driver, hit the windscreen. She died on the spot due to a head injury.
Brahm Prakash, a traffic police constable posted at the junction, told police: “The Maruti Omni was traveling at a very high speed and jumped the traffic signal. A Maruti Swift hit the van, which then fell on the left side of the road. I, and other passersby, pulled the children and the van driver out of the car. We handed over the driver to police.”
Additional Commissioner of Police (Southwest) A K Ojha said: “The Swift car (driver) was not at fault and had turned when the signal turned green. It was the fault of the school cab driver alone.”
All the children were taken to Safdarjung Hospital, where Gauri was declared dead on arrival. Another student, Kanika Goyal, was admitted with severe bleeding and vomiting. All other children were discharged after being treated for minor injuries.
Gauri’s grandmother Pushpa Kalra said: “The cab was suggested by the school, but we had finalised it. The driver did not have a permit.”
Principal of the school Deepika Thapar Singh said: “We do not have clarity on the incident. I can’t comment on the matter.”
In front seat, without belt
Driver of Maruti Omni van, Sumit, was driving at speed beyond permissible limit
Did not stop when traffic signal on Cariappa Marg turned red
Sumit drove a private vehicle for commercial purpose
Was not wearing a seat belt
Had eight children in the van
The five-year-old was made to sit in the front passenger seat
She was not made to wear a seat belt
Impact flung the girl into windscreen
Impact forced the child in front passenger seat forward
Her head crashed into windscreen. She died on the spot
Seven other children in the van received minor injuries
Sumit has been arrested and booked for rash driving, causing death by negligence and under the Motor Vehicles Act
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