A 16-year-old Class XII student driving a scooter to school was ran down by an SETC (State Express Transport Cooperation) bus and died near Nagapattinam as she tried to cross a bypass road.
Her 11-year-old cousin riding pillion was severely injured.
Agitated relatives protested alleging lack of safety measures at the crossroad leading to the accident, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
R Ashwini from Mela Iluppur village from Kilvelur block in Nagapattinam district was the deceased. She was the youngest of two daughters of her father Raja and mother Indira.
Ashwini studied in a private school in Tiruvarur which is around 20 km from her village.
According to sources, Ashwini had been driving a scooter for about four kilometers to the neighboring village Kurukkathi. She used to leave the vehicle at a place, travel in bus to Tiruvarur, and then return home vice versa.
Since Ashwini was a minor, she did not have a driving license. Her cousin named Abinesh, studying in Class VI in same school in Tiruvarur, rode pillion with Ashwini in the scooter.
On Tuesday around 7.30 am, Aswini left home with Abinesh on her scooter. She attempted to cross the bypass road between Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur.
A SETC bus traveling from Nagercoil to Velankanni passed in the bypass road. The bus driver allegedly saw the children crossing the road in a scooter, attempted to evade them and turn towards left side of the road. However, Ashwini drove all the way, only to be ran down by the speeding bus.
The bus lost its balance and partially sank towards the front into the roadside.
Abinesh was thrown off the bus and was injured while Ashwini died under the bus. The neighbours saw the accident and rushed to attend to the injured. Abinesh was rushed to the hospital.
The passengers in the bus suffered minor injuries upon the collision and sinking of the bus. Many got out through the emergency door at the rear.
Ashwini's body was retrieved from under the bus after several minutes. Her family members and relatives arrived upon information. They grieved at her body at the spot. Her relatives sat in protest in the bypass road.
The relatives alleged that the lack of barricades at the crossroad led to the accident. They also alleged lack of bus services to interior villages such as Iluppur, which led to parents sending their children in such vehicles. The relatives demanded to take action, stated The New Indian Express report.
The police officials pacified them and assured responses.
A case was registered at Kilvelur Police Station based on the complaint from the girl's family. Further investigation is underway.
An autopsy was conducted at Government Nagapattinam Medical College Hospital and Ashwini's body was handed over to her relatives. Abinesh is under treatment.
