Family of teen, crushed by truck, donates her eyes

Despite the heartbreak of losing their 19-year-old daughter, her parents donated her eyes to an eye bank.

Preethi R was in the pillion with her older sister Lavanya (20) as the two were riding to Lalbagh on Sunday morning for a walk. A speeding cement truck crushed the bike, killing Preethi, a final year BCom student at Surana College in Jayanagar, on the spot.

Lavanya, who works with a private firm, escaped with minor injuries.

Their father Ravichandra is an accounts officer in a private firm and mother a homemaker.

It was around 7.15 am when the cement mixer lorry hurtled down from the direction of Urvashi Theatre and mowed down the scooter the girls were riding on as it turned at a tremendous speed at Krumbigal Road.

Such was the impact that Preethi was flung five feet up in the air before she crashed onto the pavement on the side, where a stone hit her head, causing extensive bleeding that proved fatal.

The VV Puram traffic police arrested the lorry driver and seized the vehicle.

Despite the shock, Preethi’s family who rushed to KIMS Hospital donated her eyes to the Lions Eye Hospital.

She was a happy and bright child, recalls uncle

Her uncle Ramesh described Preethi as a happy child and a bright student. He said her father showed tremendous courage in the middle of a horrific tragedy to donate her eyes.

Lavanya said her younger sister was happy as the second year results had come and she had scored good marks. “She woke me up this morning and asked me to go with her for a walk at Lalbagh,” she said.

Ravichandra said those driving heavy vehicles recklessly should realize the value of lives. “I lost my daughter who had big dreams. I’m unable to come to terms with it,” he said.

“Our family wanted to donate her eyes,” he continued. “We wanted to donate all her organs, but the doctors said that wouldn’t be possible.”