Car hits two schoolkids, their moms

On Wednesday morning, Branali Jana, 21, and her neighbour Murjina Shaikh, 26, were dropping their children Ritika and Minajul, both five years old, to their school in Santa Cruz (West) when a speeding Honda City knocked them down.

All four sustained minor injuries and were rushed to the nearby VN Desai Hospital. They were given first-aid and discharged. But the doctors have advised a CT scan for Ritika.

"We have arrested the driver, Sunil Kumar Gupta, and booked him for rash and negligent driving. Gupta, who is an autorickshaw driver from Gajdhar Bandh in Santa Cruz (West),  was learning to drive a car with his friend's help, when he lost control of the vehicle," said inspector Sudhir Kudalkar of the Santa Cruz police station.

“Though it does not look like Gupta was drunk at the time of the incident, we have sent him for a medical test,” he added.
The incident took place at 10.45am, when Branali and Murjina were dropping their children, who are in the same class in junior KG, to Rose Manor Garden School on Central Avenue Road in Santa Cruz (West).

When they were reached the Vodafone gallery, the car hit them from behind.

“My daughter, Ritika, was thrown a few feet away and she sustained injuries on the head and left leg. Murjina, her son Minajul and I fell on the ground. We sustained minor injuries on our hands and faces,” said a shaken Branali, who lives in Sudam Sudhakar Society at Jawahar Nagar area in Khar (East).  

“We noted down the car number and informed our parents, who rushed us to VN Desai Hospital. We were given first aid and discharged, but the doctor advised that my daughter take a CT scan at KEM Hospital,” she added.

Murjina lives on Golibar Road in Santa Cruz (East).
Maryrose Nazareth, administrator and managing trustee of the school, said that as the accident took place outside the school premises, they found out about it much later. "But when we learned about the incident, we immediately followed it up with the parents."

Nazareth added: “Speeding vehicles on the road outside our school gate is a major concern. We have sent written complaints to the authorities on several occasions, but to no avail. Finally, we set up a system wherein each class teacher will accompany the students till the main gate. From there, either the parents pick up their wards or the children get into the school vans.”

“We also have a system in place for immediate medical attention for any student on the premises," she said.