August 6: A five-year-old child was crushed to death by a speeding truck at Marve Road, Malad, on Wednesday. The child, Keval Nitin Chawada, was crossing the road in front of his school the Nutan Vidya School at 4 pm when a truck loaded with soil ran over him and crushed his head. Keval died on the spot.

The driver and his truck have been kept under police custody at Malad Police station. The police have registered a case under section 279 and 304 (A) of the Indian Penal code, which amounts to causing death by negligence. Keval, a Junior KG student, was a resident of Janvikash Building, Sundar Lane, Malad.

Eyewitnesses said that after school, Keval was crossing the road along with his mother Vashanti Chawada. When they reached the middle of the road instead of waiting like his mother, Keval went ahead to cross the road. A truck, travelling at the speed of approximately 40kmph came hurtling and crushed Keval. Immediately Keval's mother rushed him to the Diamond Hospital at Malad where the young boy was declared brought dead.

Hundreds of people assembled at the site and traffic was blocked for some time but the Malad Police soon arrived and cleared the traffic.The Police collected pieces of flesh and bone scattered all around the road in plastic bags.It was a gruesome sight witnessed by hundreds of petrified children of the same school. Police sub-inspector, Nanasaheb Uware said, ``I am interrogating the eyewitnesses to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.'' The principal of the Nutan Vidya School, Hemabahen Joshi, expressed grief over the accident and said, ``After the school gives over, many students cross the road.'' A local resident added, ``Nearly 500 children cross this road daily but there is no speed breaker or any instruction for drivers to reduce their speed.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.