Lucknow horror: 21-year-old rams car into crowd; child killed, four injured

Lucknow: A six-year-old boy has died and four others were injured after a car driven by a 21-year-old student ploughed into an autorickshaw and pedestrians in the Banthra area, police said on Friday.

According to a preliminary inquiry, the speeding Maruti Swift struck an autorickshaw before veering into people walking along the roadside near a Hanuman temple at around 6pm on Thursday.

The injured were identified as Armaan, 12, Awadh Bihari, 42, Sadhana Verma, 35, Meena Devi, 60, and six-year-old Dikshant Patel. All were taken to hospital for treatment.

Patel, who sustained critical injuries, was referred to another medical facility where he later died during treatment, police said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Krishna Nagar) Rajneesh Verma said the driver, identified as Gaurab Singh, had been taken into custody. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against him on charges of reckless driving and endangering life.

Police said the accused, a Class 12 student, was returning with four friends from a farewell party at the time of the incident. He had allegedly borrowed the car from a friend and possessed a valid driving licence.

The driver reportedly claimed he became “confused” between the brake and accelerator pedals and that a tyre burst, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Police said these claims are being verified as part of the investigation.

The incident comes days after several people were injured in a separate crash in Kanpur, when a speeding Lamborghini allegedly driven by the son of a prominent tobacco trader rammed into pedestrians and two-wheelers on VIP Road in the city’s Gwaltoli area.

(PTI)