Eid excitement at a Delhi home turned to mourning after their two-year-old daughter was crushed to death while she was playing on the street outside their home. The Hyundai Venue car was driven by a 15-year-old, revealing yet again how laws against underage driving are widely flouted, often leading to tragedies.
The accident took place on Sunday when the child was playing in the alley outside her home at Paharganj. Chilling footage of a CCTV camera shows the car approaching slowly. The driver even stops the vehicle about a metre from the child, Anaabiya. The car then starts moving again and the driver appears clueless that the child is in the way. The car moves on and the child is crushed under its left front wheel. Bystanders rush towards the car, the vehicle is reversed and the child is pulled out from under the wheel. She was rushed to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Police said they found that the vehicle belonged to a neighbour of the victim’s family and his son was driving the car at the time of the accident. A case has been registered under sections relating to rash driving and causing death due to negligence. Police have taken the teen’s father, Pankaj Agarwal, in custody.
Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at Anaabiya’s home as the joy of Eid turned to wails mourning the little one’s shocking loss.
The accident once again raised questions regarding the implementation of laws against underage driving. Last year, two software engineers were killed in Pune when a Porsche driven by a teen hit a bike from behind. The incident sparked massive outrage, but the Delhi incident shows families are still careless when it comes to stopping minors from taking the wheel.