A goods autorickshaw, carrying 19 students, crashed into a fence in front of a house near J.P. Nagar in Mathikere on Thursday after its driver lost control while negotiating a steep curve.
Two students and a teacher sustained minor injuries while the other 17 children were unharmed, said the Yeshwantpur traffic police.
According to the police, the students were from classes 3 to 10 of St. Paul’s School in Mohan Kumar Nagar. They were travelling to Jalahalli to attend a sports meet. “The father of one of the students, who was participating in the sports meet, had volunteered to take the students in his vehicle and also convinced the school management,” said the police. However, while he was driving up a steep curve, he lost control of the vehicle, and crashed into the fence.
The injured students, Kushal (class 10) and Sumayya (class 5), and the teacher Yashodha were taken to two hospitals in the area.
“They were given first-aid and discharged. We have siezed the vehicle and efforts are on to trace the driver who fled from the spot. Though there was a school bus, the management allowed him to ferry the children in a goods auto, which is illegal,” a senior police officer said.
The police have booked a case against the driver and the school management charging them under Section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Indian Penal Code.