COIMBATORE: A school van driver, who was allegedly drunk, fell asleep at the wheel while transporting children to school near Vadavalli on Friday morning. As he parked the vehicle midway and slept on the steering wheel, a few children walked back to their homes.
T Kumar, one of the parents, said the van carrying around seven students was found parked on the roadside in Gurusamy Nagar. According to Kumar, the van is attached to a travel agency which was contracted to transport students to a private school in Kovaipudur.
“Children board the vehicle at 7.20 am. On Friday, the van came to our house 20 minutes late and the driver did not pick up our calls. Then one student present in the van attended the call and said the driver was asleep. We went there and found him in an inebriated state. Before we arrived, a few students returned to their homes,” he said.
The travel agency arranged an alternative vehicle for students. The school management held talks with the parents in an attempt to pacify them. After receiving information, police arrived at the spot and found the driver in an inebriated condition. He was booked under Motor Vehicle Act for drunk and drive. The police also seized the van.
“The driver and owner of the van Senthilkumar (48) was tasked with pick up and drop of students from Vadavalli. He had consumed liquor on Thursday night and dozed off at the wheel on Friday. The case was referred to the city traffic police (west) and a case was registered against the driver. We will collect a fine and submit case files before the court. The court will decide the punishment,” a senior police officer said.