BENGALURU: A 15-year-old boy died on the spot and four others sustained injuries when a van carrying a 100 kg Ganesha idol ran over people dancing in a procession taken out for Ganesha Chaturthi on Sunday night.
Police said the driver of the van lost control of the vehicle over a slope, which led to the tragedy.
According to police sources, the procession was taken out at JC Nagar Kurubarahalli near Mahalakshmi Layout and the vehicle was carrying the idol for immersion.
Around 11.30pm, the procession started moving towards Laggere when the van driver, Raghu S (33), lost control of the vehicle and ran over the youths who were dancing in the procession.
Venkatesh, a resident of JC Nagar and Class 10 student of Nalanda Public School, died on the spot. A woman, Jayamma, who saved her granddaughter from coming under the wheels of the speeding van sustained injuries on both her arms. Three others injured in the accident were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Venkatesh’s relatives said the boy had left home upon hearing the sound of the drum beats. Venkatesh’s maternal uncle said, “We checked the brakes of the van after the accident and found that they were working.” He added that the vehicle did not have any documents.
Police suspect the driver lost control of the vehicle on the slope due to the weight of the Ganesha idol. The driver has been arrested for negligence.
Mahalakshmi Layout Traffic police are investigating the case. A witness said the boys who were part of the procession did not hear the approaching van due to the noise of the drums.
A police official said that RTO officials would check if the vehicle had relevant documents and if its brakes had failed.
‘Our son wanted to be a doctor’
Amid tears, Venkatesh’s parents recollected with pride that their son wanted to become a doctor. His mother Deepa said her son was good in studies.
“Last night, just after dinner, he said he’ll watch the procession and return. That was the last time I saw him. We just celebrated his birthday last month. He really liked throwball and would go anywhere to play it. He also competed in a tournament in Kolar once,” she said.
Venkatesh’s father Vasudev said his son was a happy child. Arun Kumar, a Class 11 student from the same school, said Venkatesh was good at throwball. A few boys from the locality said they would meet Venkatesh every Saturday at the temple.