BENGALURU: In a freak mishap, a six-year-old girl was killed after smashing through the windshield of a private bus in which she was travelling, after the driver applied brakes suddenly, and the vehicle ran over her. The incident occurred in Magadi taluk of Ramanagara district on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as Jeevika, a resident of Rajagopalanagar. She was the only daughter of Kumar and Jyothi.
Police said Jeevika was going to her grandmother’s house at Maddur in Mandya district, along with the latter, Gowramma, and uncle, Yogesh. They had boarded a private bus from Sunkadakatte in the morning, which was supposed to reach Maddur via Magadi and Huliyurudurga.
“The girl was sitting on the bench seat next to the engine. As the bus moved near Honnapura village of Kasaba hobli on the Bengaluru-Magadi Road at around 11.30 am, the driver was allegedly driving the vehicle rashly. While negotiating a hump, he applied brakes suddenly. The girl sitting in the front lost balance and was flung towards the windshield, smashing through it. As she fell in front of the bus, the vehicle ran over, crushing her head and killing her on the spot,” police added. Based on Yogesh’s complaint, the driver has been arrested.
Call for seatbelts
Meanwhile, experts feel that seatbelts are the best solution in such cases and supervising children below 10 years of age is a must to ensure their safety while travelling in public transport vehicles. Traffic expert MN Sreehari said seatbelts and the installation of sensors will save lives of those inside and outside the vehicles.
“Parents or guardians should be cautious while travelling with children below 10 years of age. They should ensure that they are seated between two adults, so that they could be protected during accidents. Children below three years can sit on their mothers’ lap wearing seatbelts as done in flights,” he said.
Installation of sensors in vehicles to sense movements around three metres will save lives. “If the driver applies sudden brakes, even those sitting inside may injure themselves. Hence, seatbelts and censors should be made mandatory,” Sreehari suggested.