6-year-old killed as car hits auto, pedestrians in Lucknow; accused held

A six-year-old boy was killed and four people were injured after a 21-year-old student returning from a farewell party rammed his car into an autorickshaw and pedestrians in the Banthra area in Lucknow on Thursday evening.

The police said preliminary enquiry revealed that the speeding car hit an autorickshaw before mowing down people walking along the roadside near a Hanuman temple at 6 pm on Thursday.

The injured were identified as Armaan (12), Awadh Bihari (42), Sadhana Verma (35), Meena Devi (60), and six-year-old Dikshant Patel. All were taken to a hospital for treatment, a PTI report said quoting the police said.

ACP (Krishna Nagar) Rajneesh Verma told PTI that the driver, identified as Gaurab Singh, has been taken into custody and an FIR has been lodged on charges of reckless driving and endangering life.

Police said the accused is a class 12 student and was returning with four friends from a farewell party when the accident occurred. He allegedly borrowed the car from a friend and possessed a valid driving licence, they said.

The accused had claimed that he got "confused" between the brake and accelerator pedals and that a tyre burst, leading to the accident, police said, adding that his claims are being verified.

The incident comes days after several people were injured when a speeding Lamborghini, allegedly driven by the son of a prominent tobacco trader, rammed into pedestrians and two-wheelers on the VIP Road in Kanpur's upscale Gwaltoli area.

(With PTI inputs)