Three members of a family, carrying blood plasma urgently needed for a newborn baby, were injured after their vehicle was allegedly hit by a speeding high-end car on Bhagwan Das Road in Delhi’s Tilak Marg, the police said on Monday.
The car driver — 27-year-old Shah Ved Sheikh from old Delhi’’s Turkman Gate — has been arrested. Soon after the accident, he had fled the spot, leaving the vehicle behind. The victims — Shakti Singh (36), his wife Pushpa Rani (31) and his sister (26), — were immediately rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. They are said to be out of danger.
The blood plasma was meant for Mr. Shakti’s brother’s baby girl, who had developed some complications after she was born on July 4 and was undergoing treatment at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. The police said the accident took place on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday and the baby too died at 5 a.m. on Saturday.
The family was returning to the hospital after collecting blood plasma from the Indian Red Cross Society when the accident took place. The impact of the accident was such that the victim’s vehicle toppled and the blood plasma was destroyed, a senior officer said.
‘Not under alcohol’
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said a case has been registered against the driver under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC at Tilak Marg police station. The police said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol but was driving rashly.
Vishal Singh said the doctor had told them to arrange for the blood plasma for his daughter as it was not available at their hospital. “It was late on Friday night when the doctor said it was urgent and since it was raining, my family members advised me against going on a bike to a blood bank,” said Mr. Singh. “So I stayed back in the hospital while my elder brother along with his wife and our sister rushed to the Indian Red Cross Society,” he added. Mr. Singh said his younger sister, who has received five-six stitches on her head, is yet to be discharged.
Mr. Shakti, who was driving the vehicle, sustained at least nine stitches and has been discharged while his wifeis still undergoing treatment.