Two days on, child run over by car dies

Two days after a man, distracted by his mobile phone, ran his car over his three-year-old nephew in northwest Delhi’s Bharat Nagar, the child succumbed to head and chest injuries on Wednesday.

The child had been struggling for life in hospital for the past two days. His uncle was arrested on Monday for rash and negligent driving. The incident took place on Monday afternoon when the man, identified as Aas Mohammad, dropped home his nephew Gulam.

A CCTV footage of the accident circulated on social media shows that as soon as the child started walking home, Mohammad accelerated the car without realising he was standing right in front of the vehicle.

Mohammad later told police he got a call and was distracted because of which he failed to spot the child. “The video shows the child was run over by Mohammad’s Hyundai Creta car. The child was dragged for about 20 metres and sustained critical injuries on his chest and head. Locals and neighbours raised an alarm and Mohammad stopped the car hearing the hue and cry,” said a police officer not wishing to be named.

The child’s family took him to a hospital from where he was referred to AIIMS. Since then the child had been admitted in the intensive care unit. A case was registered against Mohammad of rash driving and causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others, based on the statement of the child’s family members.

Mohammad was arrested on Monday. Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Vijayanta Arya said a fresh case of causing death due to negligence was registered against him. “We had already arrested him. The child’s body has been sent for a post mortem examination and family members are being questioned,” she said.