8-year-old comes under her school van's wheels, dies in Maharashtra

NASHIK: Apeksha Bhalerao, an eight-year-old student, was run over by the school van from which she had alighted just moments before on Friday evening at 6.35 pm. The accident took place right in front of the housing society where the student lived in the Pawarwadi area of Jail Road, Nashik Road. Police have arrested van driver Pravin Shejwal.
Nashik Road PSI G M Kakad said the driver was produced before a city court and he has been remanded in 14-day police custody.
According to the initial accidental-death case registered by the Nashik Road police, Apeksha stepped out of the van and turned to enter the housing society from behind the vehicle. Just then, the driver reversed the van and Apeksha came under its rear wheels. Apeksha's mother had come out of their apartment to pick up her daughter when the accident took place.
"Other students started shouting. Shejwal jumped out of the van and pulled Apeksha out. He then sped away in the vehicle," said Vikas Pagar, an eyewitness.
The driver later dropped off the other students and surrendered before the Nashik Road police. Apeksha was first rushed to a hospital in the Nashik Road area, and was then taken to the Nashik civil hospital, where she was declared "brought dead".
Other residents of the housing society said that the driver usually brought a smaller van to pick up and drop off students. However, on Friday, he brought a bigger van. One resident said: "The driver should have stopped the van so that the vehicle's door opened right in front of the gate. Instead, he took a U-turn. Apeksha thus got out of the van on the other side of the street. She had to cross the van to approach the gate. She did this from behind the van and came under its wheels when the driver reversed."