New Delhi: A six-year-old girl lost her life and her grandmother was injured after the e-rickshaw they were travelling in overturned following a collision with a car in west Delhi’s Janakpuri, police said on Thursday.
The accident took place on the morning of February 17 when the child was on her way to school with her grandmother, Mercy Xavier (57), a resident of Lajwanti Garden.
Recalling the incident, the grandmother said it was a regular school morning that suddenly turned tragic. “I had boarded the e-rickshaw with my granddaughter and we were on our way to her school. It was an ordinary morning. Suddenly, a speeding car rammed into our rickshaw with tremendous force. Before I could understand what had happened, I was thrown onto the road,” she said.
Still shaken by the memory, she added, “When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground. My granddaughter was lying beside me. My hand was soaked in blood. I was in shock and pain, but all I could think about was her.”
According to her, the child was bleeding heavily. “I begged a car driver, who was standing there watching us, to help and take the child to the hospital. Instead of helping, he ran away. I don’t remember if it was the same car which hit us,” she alleged, breaking down.
The girl’s mother, who works at a hospital, said she received a distressing call from her mother soon after the accident. “A hospital staff saw the entire incident. She later told me that my elderly mother was crying and pleading for help on the road. My daughter was gasping for breath. People had gathered, but no one stepped forward to assist them,” she said, struggling to control her emotions.
She said it was eventually a nurse from the hospital who rushed the child to the medical facility with the help of another person. “The car that hit the rickshaw was being driven at a very high speed. If help had come sooner, maybe things would have been different,” she said.
Police said a PCR call about the accident was received from Mata Chanan Devi Hospital that morning. The girl and her grandmother were first taken there for treatment and later shifted to a higher medical centre in Dwarka. The child succumbed to her injuries during treatment, officials said. Mercy Xavier is undergoing treatment and is reported to be stable.
An officer said that around 7.40 am, near the Janakpuri Fire Station, the e-rickshaw collided with a car and overturned, throwing both passengers onto the road and causing serious injuries.
A case has been registered at Janakpuri police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rash and negligent driving causing death. The vehicle involved has been seized and the driver, identified as Sanjeev, was apprehended on Wednesday.
Police said statements of witnesses are being recorded and CCTV footage from cameras installed near the fire station and nearby areas is being examined to piece together the sequence of events. Further investigation is underway.
The incident has once again raised concerns about the growing number of e-rickshaws operating in the national capital. Official data shows that more than two lakh e-rickshaws are registered in Delhi. However, enforcement sources say the actual number on the roads may be much higher, with many vehicles allegedly operating without proper registration or safety compliance.
Officials also pointed out that several e-rickshaws ply in congested residential and market areas, often without strict adherence to traffic rules. Overloading and lack of proper driver training are seen as factors that increase the risk of accidents.
(with inputs from agencies)
