Ludhiana: Trucks mows down 21-year-old ragpicker, her 2-yr-old daughter

A 21-year-old ragpicker and her two-year-old daughter were crushed under the wheels of a truck near Ludhiana Railway Station in the early hours of Monday. The driver was taken into custody after bystanders allegedly stopped him when he tried to flee from the spot, police said.

The victims have been identified as Baby Kumari Yadav and her daughter, whose name could not be ascertained. The family are migrants and have been living in a shanty near the Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Inter-State Bus Terminal.

According to police, Baby was collecting empty bottles by the roadside when the truck hit her around 6.30 am. She was carrying her daughter in her lap at the time of the accident. Both died on the spot.

The driver allegedly tried to flee with the vehicle after the accident but locals intercepted him and informed the police.

A team from Division Number 1 police station reached the spot, took the driver into custody and seized the truck.

Sub-inspector Ashwini Kumar, SHO of Division Number 1 police station, said, “The woman was collecting empty bottles by the roadside when the driver apparently failed to notice her and hit the duo. The driver is in police custody.”

According to the victim’s family, Baby used to collect empty bottles, polythene bags and cardboard from roadsides and sell them to scrap dealers to support the family. She would wake up early to collect discarded items before municipal sanitation workers cleared the roads.

Police have asked Baby’s husband to record his statement, following which an FIR will be registered.

Three killed in separate road accidents across Ludhiana

Three people, including a woman and a 19-year-old girl, were killed in three separate road accidents reported from different parts of Ludhiana on Sunday.

In the first incident, Aarti Devi was crushed to death after falling from a motorcycle on Metro Road. According to police, a speeding truck driven by Daljit Singh allegedly hit the motorcycle, throwing Aarti onto the road. A trailer wheel then ran over her, killing her on the spot.

The truck driver allegedly fled the scene with the vehicle. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident.

In another incident, 30-year-old Naveen Kumar was killed near a primary school in Mundian Kalan. According to a statement by his brother, Naveen was passing through the area when a motorcyclist allegedly riding at high speed and in a negligent manner rammed into him. Naveen sustained serious injuries and died while being taken to hospital. Police have registered a case and are investigating the motorcyclist’s role.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Khushi Kumari was killed after a speeding car allegedly hit her scooter near Sangowal. According to police, she was riding towards Jaspal Bangar when the driver of a white Verna allegedly rammed into her while driving rashly and negligently. She died on the spot.

Police have registered a case against the unidentified driver and are examining available information to identify the vehicle and trace the accused.