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This is an archive article published on August 17, 1997

Rash driving claims yet another student

MUMBAI, Aug 16: Rash driving claimed the life of yet another school boy in the city today. Tragedy struck three students of Cardinal Gracia...

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MUMBAI, Aug 16: Rash driving claimed the life of yet another school boy in the city today. Tragedy struck three students of Cardinal Gracias High School as they were walking towards their school near the Kherwadi junction on the Western Express Highway. A speeding taxi weaved across the road and rammed into the students killing Shankar Prasad Bhim studying in standard V instantly, while the other two were seriously injured.

Shankar was the third school student to die in recent weeks in road accidents.

Earlier on August 5, a five-year-old student of Nutan Vidya

Mandir, Malad (West), was killed by a speeding truck outside the school on the main road.This was preceded by a another equally gruesome accident which occurred on July 29, when a 10-year-old student of the Fatima High School, Vidyavihar, was crushed to death by a school bus on the school premises itself.

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Today’s incident occurred around 6.40 am at the Kherwadi junction when the driver of the speeding taxi (MH 02 R4109) lost control. Apart from the three, a woman and another student escaped with minor injuries.

Kherwadi police station senior inspector B K Sonawane told The Indian Express that the driver, while coming from Mahim on its way to Vakola, could not control his taxi after the axel of the front right wheel broke, separating it from the vehicle.

The driver was unable to steer his vehicle to safety and moved nearly 120-130 feet away from normal route hitting the school children who had crossed one half of the road and were waiting near the divider to cross the other half.

Shankar’s older brother Shrikant, studying in Standard VI, who received severe head injuries is reportedly battling for life in King Edward Memorial Hospital at Parel. Shrikant’s classmate Ramesh Mani’s right leg had to be amputated in Bhabha hospital at Bandra.

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Fiftyeight-year-old Sharada Kakyankar and Ramesh’s brother Rajesh, a standard VIII student, escaped with minor injuries, police said. All the students hail from Nirmal Nagar.

As news of the accident spread, the school was plunged into mourning with the classmates of the accident victims crying bitterly. Principal Father Albert Xalxo declared a holiday “as it was impossible to carry on with everyone shocked and upset”.

Father Xalxo pointed out that there is no official zebra crossing on the highway. However, there is an underground subway which is mostly used by pedestrians..

The taxi-driver has been arrested.

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