HYDERABAD: Barely a day after a Class-II student was run over by a speeding truck, a 12-year-old girl Madhushalini was crushed to death by a college bus in the city on Wednesday. She was riding pillion with her uncle to attend a family function in Abdullapurmet from her residence in Kothapet.
The accident happened when the driver of the college bus, belonging to St Mary’s group of institutions, was trying to avoid collision with a Telangana Road Transport Corporation bus. The bus hit the bike and its back tyre crushed the girl’s head killing her on spot.
“The girl’s uncle slowed down at Pasumamula Junction in Peddamberpet as an RTC bus was crossing the junction,” said Hayathnagar inspector J Narender Goud. “The college bus coming from Hayathnagar rammed his bike. The girl came under the wheels and died on the spot.”
The body was cremated
after postmortem. Police have registered a case under Section 304 (a) (negligent driving causing death) against the driver, and taken him into custody.Responding swiftly, college authorities denied any wrongdoing by the their driver. “The RTC driver was speeding and did not give way to our bus, which is why he had to swerve, thereby knocking over the bike,” said K Mahendra, transport in-charge for St Mary’s group of institutions.
“It’s not right to make an RTC bus a scapegoat for other peoples road violations,” TSRTC spokesperson GR Kiran responded. The police, however, quoted witnesses saying it was the college bus that was over-speeding. “Two months ago, another person was killed in similar fashion at the same spot. We have closed the Pasumamula junction as its an accident-prone spot,” added inspector J Narender Goud. Earlier on Tuesday, Class II student Bhumika Reddy died after a truck hit the two-wheeler she was travelling along with her mother and sister. The mother and sister are now stable and the truck driver has been arrested.