Speeding school vehicle hits auto, kills 2 girls on scooter in Bengaluru; driver held

BENGALURU: A school bus driver, allegedly attempting to flee after hitting an autorickshaw, rammed a gearless scooter coming from the opposite direction, killing two minor children riding on it. The accident occurred near the police quarters in Thanisandra, Hennur, in the north-east of the city Wednesday morning.

D Bhanu, 4, died on the spot, while N Varsha, 2, succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital. Varsha's father, Naganagauda Mali Patil, who was riding the scooter, sustained minor injuries.

Police arrested the bus driver, identified as A Marappa, on charges of causing death due to negligence. The bus belongs to Hegemony Global School on Nagenahalli Main Road.

Naganagauda Mali Patil, a native of Lingasugur in Raichur district of north Karnataka, works as an assistant head constable with the City Armed Reserve and lives with his family in the police quarters.

According to Naganagauda, he was on his way to a milk booth when the accident occurred at 8.10am. "I had travelled barely 200 metres from my house. At the junction, I slowed down on seeing the bus approach from the road to my left. When I saw it taking a right turn, I stopped my scooter. To my shock, the driver failed to notice me and rammed straight into us. The girls, who were standing in front, fell and came under the rear wheels," he said.

"If the driver had noticed my scooter or seen me waiting, my daughter and niece would be alive," he added. "Onlookers later told me that the bus had brushed against an autorickshaw a little behind Thanisandra and was speeding to avoid being followed."

Naganagauda said he realised that Bhanu had died on the spot. "We rushed Varsha to a nearby hospital. Doctors tried for over an hour to revive her, but in vain," he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

According to Jeevangauda, a family relative, Naganagauda had brought up his niece, Bhavana, as his own. "Naganagauda's elder brother, Doddanagauda Mali Patil, an agriculturist in Lingasugur, has two children. Naganagauda did not have children for a long time after his wedding, so he took care of Bhavana. Even after Varsha was born, he chose to raise both Bhavana and Varsha together," he said. "It was his regular practice to take the two girls along to the milk booth or nearby shops whenever he stepped out in the morning," he added.

Police subjected the driver to an alcohol test, which came back negative.

"CCTV footage showed the driver is at fault, as he directly rammed into the scooter that was stationary on the road. Marappa claimed he failed to notice the scooter because he was looking at the corner of the road to check for other vehicles," an officer said.

Shocker for children

According to Hennur police, 25 children, most of them primary school students, were on board when the accident occurred. Residents and other commuters who rushed to the scene asked them to remain inside the bus to avoid further distress after seeing the seriously injured children and the blood on the road. All the children were later transferred to another bus.

"Apart from the physical safety of the children, we believe they might have been traumatised by the accident. It is important for their parents and teachers to counsel them and ensure they are emotionally supported," a police officer said.