Bihar: Two students injured after sand-laden truck hits, drags them 200 metres

The vehicle has been seized, but the accused is absconding. The condition of the injured students remains critical: Police said.

Patna: Two students were injured on Wednesday morning after their bicycle was hit and dragged for about 200 metres by a sand-laden truck near the Rampur intersection on the Lalganj–Fakuli main road in Bihar’s Vaishali district, police said.

The police said the girls, residents of Patedha village, were heading towards their coaching institute (Representative photo)

The police said the girls — Aashi Kumari and Lakshmi Kumari — residents of Patedha village, were heading towards their coaching institute when a speeding truck coming from the wrong side rammed into their bicycle.

“The condition of the injured students remains critical. Aashi has been referred to Muzaffarpur, while Lakshmi Kumari has been referred to the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH). Raids are going on to arrest the absconding driver,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sadar-2 Gopal Mandal said.

People who were present during the accident rescued the girls and took them to the hospital. Some of them tried to catch the driver and cleaner of the vehicle, but they managed to flee from the spot.

“A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the driver for rash and negligent driving under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The vehicle has been seized, and further investigation is underway,” an officer said.

Former head (mukhiya) of Patedha village Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh told police that around 5:30 am, an 18-wheeler truck was coming from the opposite direction and the two girls were coming from the west side. “I narrowly escaped being hit by that vehicle,” Singh said.

“The entire incident was captured on a nearby CCTV camera. It shows the two girls riding bicycles. As they come from the service road onto the main road, the truck approaches from the front. The vehicle was speeding and dragged the girls for about 200 metres, while the former mukhiya was seen running to save his life,” the officer said.

The police said the locals started protesting after the accident and blocked the road, burnt tyres, ransacked the truck and demanded action against the culprit. Villagers said their protest would continue till the driver is nabbed and measures for speed control are implemented.

“They said that speeding trucks/dumpers are a problem on this route. They have demanded the administration increase regular patrols and conduct strict vigil against sand-laden vehicles,” the officer said, adding that the locals were about to set the truck on fire but stopped after persuasion.

The blockade was lifted after two hours following assurances from senior police officers.