A Class VII student of Manav Mangal Smart World School, Zirakpur, was crushed under the wheels of a truck while she along with her mother was on her way to school on the Ambala-Chandigarh national highway near the Singhpura Chowk this morning.
Deceased Ananya (12), a resident of Preet Colony, Zirakpur, was riding pillion on a scooter with her mother Pushpa. The scooter skidded on the uneven patch strewn with gravel close to a truck laden with iron bars.
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Passers-by said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials had been apathetic to the bad condition of the patch, which led to the accident and death of the child.
“The NHAI, which is carrying out carpeting work on the road, left this patch unmetalled. No signage or caution board has been put up at the bald patch near the Singhpura Chowk. The construction of two vehicular underpasses (VUPs) has been hanging fire for two years now.
“This is criminal on the part of the authorities. They are bound to ensure safe commuting at construction sites also. They should be booked under Section 198 A of the Motor Vehicle Act (Amended) 2019, which deals with the failure to comply with standards for road design, construction, and maintenance,” said Harman Sidhu of ArriveSAFE, an NGO that works on road safety.
Shockingly, road users just passed by as the injured woman kept crying near her daughter’s body. Passers-by also complained that the police vehicle reached the spot almost half an hour later.
The truck driver, Kali Bhushan (23) of Jammu, reportedly tried to flee the spot but was nabbed by a passer-by. An ambulance of a charitable body later shifted the body to the mortuary of the Dera Bassi subdivisional hospital.
The truck driver told the police that he was on his way to Ambala from Baddi to deliver iron bars.
A case of negligent driving has been registered against the driver at the Zirakpur police station.
NHAI apathetic to the safety of commuters: Residents
Residents are angry over the “never-ending” construction of vehicular underpasses by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Road users flayed its officials for haphazard construction work. The administration has also failed to resolve the problem of snarl-ups at the construction site.
Sadak Suraksha Force vehicle reaches late
An ambulance of a charitable body reached the spot before the Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF) vehicle. Personnel of the SSF were seen managing the traffic at the accident spot. Residents said the ambulance service at the Dhakoli Community Health Centre was erratic and mostly remained unavailable.
No caution board at mishap-prone spot
Signage or caution boards are missing near the construction site on the national highway. Iron spikes protruding from the road drainage pose a danger to road users.
