In yet another horrifying instance of an underage driver posing a serious risk on the streets, a 16-year-old boy rammed his car into a moped rider in Chennai on Tuesday night, killing the rider.
According to a report in the Times of India, the incident took place near Uthukottai when the Class 11 student was taking his friends out for a drive.
K Lakshmipathy (52), a tea vendor, was reportedly returning home in the evening when he was knocked off his bike and killed.
Lakshmipathy sustained head injuries and was declared dead on arrival at the Thiruvallur Government Hospital.
While the boy's father, Balakrishnan, has been booked under Indian Penal Code Section 304(II), no arrests have been made yet.
The New Indian Express quotes a police officer as saying, “Lakshmipathy was crossing the highway when the car hit his bike. Lakshmipathy and the bike were dragged for a few metres before he fell off the bike and the car ran over him.”
This is the third such incident in Chennai and its suburbs this month caused by vehicles being driven by minor boys.
On August 5, a car driven by a 17-year-old boy on way to Mahabalipuram with his friends, killed three people who were helping paramedics at the site of an accident.
The minor boys reportedly fled the scene and were apprehended by the police later.
On August 25, a 15-year-old who was behind the wheel on the Ennore Express Highway, crashed his car into a mini truck parked on the side of the road. His friend who was with him in the car died in the accident.
The boy's father, Alex Raj, was arrested by the police under IPC Sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304A (Causing death by negligence).