VILLUPURAM: A 12-year-old student was killed and 13 others were injured after a share auto in which they were travelling overturned near Kodukkur on Tuesday. Among the injured, four are in critical condition.
Police said the driver was using his mobile phone besides overspeeding, which caused the accident.
According to source, students from Kodukkur and Thiruvakarai villages near Villupuram are studying in a government school in Sithalampattu. As there was no bus service to their villages from the school, the students depended on share autos to reach the school and go back home.
On Tuesday evening, 14 students of class VI, VII and VIII took a share auto to their village. At a curve near Kodukkur, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned on the middle of the road.
In this incident, Ajith (12) of Pathur village near Ulundurpet died on the spot as he sustained severe head injury. The other students sustained injuries and shouted for help. Meanwhile, the share auto driver escaped from the spot.
Nearby villagers rushed to the spot and sent the injured to a private medical college hospital at Osuteri in Puducherry.
Among them, Bharathy, Swathy, Ezhilarasi and Yogeswari, who are in critical condition were shifted to Government Medical College Hospital in Mundiampakkam for further treatment.
On information, the Kandamangalam police came to the spot and seized the auto.
A case was registered and inquiries revealed that the share auto driver was using his mobile phone besides overspeeding. A search is on to nab the driver, who is absconding.