A morning commute turned into a nightmare for a family in North Kolkata when an 11-year-old boy suffered severe injuries after a horrific accident involving his father's motorcycle and a truck. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, sending shockwaves through the local community.
The Horrific Morning Incident on Maniktala Main Road
The accident took place around 6:35 am on Wednesday on Maniktala Main Road, a location next to the government bus depot and close to the Bengal Chemical gate. The victim, identified as Srinjoy Dutta, an 11-year-old student of class 5 at Bidhannagar Municipal School, was riding pillion on his father's bike. According to initial accounts from locals, the truck hit the bike, throwing the young boy onto the road. Allegedly, the truck driver continued driving, crushing Srinjoy's leg under the vehicle's wheels.
Conflicting Narratives: Locals' Account vs. Police Findings
While locals claimed the truck driver attempted to flee and was caught by them, the police version, based on CCTV footage analysis, paints a different sequence of events. An officer explained that the biker, Gautam Dutta (47), was trying to overtake the truck from the left. The father was wearing a helmet, but his son was not. As they negotiated one of several speed breakers on a slight curve, the bike's handle reportedly caught the truck, causing both riders to fall.
"The boy fell to his right while his father fell to the left. The truck's rear left tyre went over the student's leg even as everyone shouted out warnings," the officer stated. He added that the driver heard the alarms, realized something was wrong, and braked, but those few seconds were enough to cause critical injury. The locals subsequently handed the truck driver over to the police.
Critical Condition and Hopeful Prognosis
The severely injured child was rushed to a private hospital off EM Bypass. Medical reports indicate that he remains in critical condition but is responding to treatment. In a significant relief, doctors have not called for amputation. A police officer provided a cautiously optimistic update, stating, "Since the injury's impact is on the boy's muscles, we are hoping he will pull through. However, it will take some time before he can resume daily activities."
The incident has once again highlighted critical road safety issues, particularly the vulnerability of children on two-wheelers and the dangers posed by heavy vehicles on congested city roads with multiple speed breakers.
