A day of accidents, 4 die in 3 incidents

KANPUR: Within six hours, four persons including two schoolchildren and a village pradhan lost their lives and several others were injured in three road mishaps here on Tuesday. The injured persons are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
The first accident was reported from Juhi police circle which claimed the life of a 25-year-old youth. It led to mob fury, road blockade and arson near Juhi Pul.
In the second accident, two schoolchildren died and six others injured when their four-wheeler was hit by a speeding truck on Kanpur-Allahabad highway near Ram Nagra village in Sarsaul block under Maharajpur police station on Tuesday morning.
The accident took place around 7:45 am while the occupants of the four-wheeler, mostly children, identified as Mohit Uttam Kumar (5), Yash (5), Mohit (6), Saurabh (9), Keenu (10), Uday Singh (5), Sunil (6), Tanmay (7) were on their way to school on the vehicle.
The driver of the four-wheleer, Manish, 20, along with the children was going towards Golden Wealth Public school located near Ram Nagra village on the city outskirts, when the driver of the speeding truck hit them from the opposite direction. Mohit Uttam Kumar, son of Vimlesh Uttam Kumar and Yash, son of Jitendra Singh, both residents of Navodaya Nagar, who suffered serious injuries undergoing treatment at Madhuraj Nursing home later succumbed to their wounds. Mohit died on the spot while Yash, who was shifted to the Nursing home succumbed later.
Manish, received multiple fractures. According to Nursing home authorities, the condition of few among the injured is stable .
According to Maharajpur police station officials, "A Tata Magic vehicle was hit by a truck coming from the opposite side around 7.45 am on Tuesday. The Tata Magic vehicle driver was trying to cross the road through a cut when a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction hit the vehicle."
"According to the eye-witnesses, the Tata magic driver was at fault. As it was early in the morning and the truck was running at full speed, the driver could not take preventive action. Suddenly, the Tata Magic vehicle loomed up in front. The van skidded on the road injuring the occupants," said another police official.
The Tata vehicle was coming from Ram Nagra village after picking up the children and was going to Golden Wealth Public school, where they were supposed to reach by 8 am as they were to attend morning prayers.
The family members were worried and put up near the Madhuraj Nursing home itself.
The Kanpur--Allahabad Highway is notorious for such accidents. However, it is one of those incidents where due to carelessness, the accidents took place. According to Maharajpur police station officials, they report one accident every two--three days on the stretch that comes under their jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, another road mishap near Juhi `pul' area sparked off mob fury and the locals set ablaze a traffic-police booth on fire and pelted stones on passing vehicles after a 25-year-old youth was killed as a speeding truck overturned under Juhi police station.
The police identified the deceased as Shahbad, son of Nabban, a resident of Prampurwa, Juhi, Badi Masjid. The resentment which began with road blockade ended up with pelting of stones on passing vehicles and traders downing shutters as a mark of protest against the poor traffic scenario in the area. They also demanded to not to conduct post-mortem of Shahbad's body. The mishap took place near Juhi pul around 2.15 pm when Shahbad was on his way back from his workplace on a two-wheeler along with his friend Irfan of the same locality. As Shahbad was trying to cross the road, the driver of a speeding truck lost control over vehicle following a roadside ditch and it turned turtle crushing the Shahbad to death and leaving few others critically wounded.
Eyewitnesses said the vehicle turned upside down. While Shahbad was stuck under the vehicle, a milk-vendor Shyamji Lal, who suffered serious injuries was admitted to the Ursala Hospital.
The incident led to mob frenzy as irate locals damaged and tried to set the traffic police booth on fire, which was abandoned by the policemen, who fled the scene immediately after the incident. The locals then blocked the road demanding senior district officials to improve the traffic situation and not to conduct post-mortem of the deceased.
Senior officials of the district including ADM (City) Shakuntala Gautam and SP, traffic, RL Verma, who rushed to the spot immediately, however, pacified the mob and the protesters only lifted the blockade at around 4.30 p.m.
Similarly, a village pradhan was run over by a speeding truck under the Chakeri police station. The police identified the victim as Devendra Singh son of Jitendra Singh, a resident and village pradhan of Shishupur Narwal village. The incident occurred at around 4 pm while the victim was on his way back home from Collectorate. Separate FIR's were lodged in connection with the three incidents.