NEW DELHI: A six-year-old girl was killed and her grandmother injured after the e-rickshaw they were travelling in collided with a car and overturned in west Delhi’s Janakpuri, officials said on Thursday. Recounting the incident, the grandmother told news agency PTI that the two had just begun their routine journey to the child’s school when the crash occurred. She said a speeding car rammed into the e-rickshaw with tremendous force, throwing her onto the road. She recalled regaining consciousness to find herself lying injured, with her granddaughter beside her. Despite being in shock and pain, she said her immediate concern was the child, who was bleeding heavily. The grandmother alleged that she pleaded with a car driver present at the scene to help take the girl to the hospital, but the person left without assisting. She added that she could not confirm whether it was the same vehicle involved in the collision. The child’s mother, who works at a hospital, said she received a call from her mother after the accident. She told news agency PTI that a hospital staff member who witnessed the incident later informed her that the elderly woman had been crying for help while the child struggled to breathe. According to her, bystanders had gathered but none initially intervened.The grandmother said she saw the girl bleeding profusely. “I begged a car driver, who was standing there watching us, to help and take the child to the hospital. Instead of helping, he ran away. I don’t remember if it was the same car which hit us,” she alleged, breaking down. Police said a PCR call regarding an accident involving a minor girl was received from Mata Chanan Devi Hospital on the morning of February 17. The girl and her maternal grandmother, Mercy Xavier (57), a resident of Lajwanti Garden, were initially taken there and later shifted to a hospital in Dwarka. The child succumbed during treatment. During enquiry, Xavier told police that around 7.40 am she was travelling in an e-rickshaw with her granddaughter when, near the Janakpuri Fire Station, the vehicle collided with a car and overturned, causing serious injuries. Officials said Xavier remains under treatment and is stated to be stable. Based on preliminary findings, a case has been registered at Janakpuri police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rash and negligent driving causing death. The offending vehicle has been seized. Police identified the accused driver as Sanjeev, who was apprehended on Wednesday. Statements of witnesses are being recorded, and CCTV footage from cameras installed near the fire station and surrounding areas is being examined to reconstruct the sequence of events. The fatal accident has once again drawn attention to the operation of e-rickshaws in the capital. Official data indicates that over two lakh e-rickshaws are registered in Delhi, though enforcement sources said the actual number on the roads may be higher, with many vehicles allegedly operating without full compliance with safety norms.(With agency inputs)
