Girl, 6, Dies In Delhi Hit-And-Run, Grandmother Says ‘Begged Driver To Help’

New Delhi: A six-year-old girl lost her life after a speeding car hit the e-rickshaw she was travelling in with her grandmother, causing the vehicle to overturn in West Delhi’s Janakpuri area. The impact threw both of them onto the road, leaving the child critically injured. Despite her grandmother’s desperate pleas for help, no one immediately stepped forward, and the girl later died during treatment.

The child’s grandmother, 57-year-old Mercy Xavier described how a fast-moving car suddenly slammed into their e-rickshaw. She remembered being thrown onto the road before she could understand what was happening.

“I had boarded the e-rickshaw with my granddaughter, and we were on our way to her school. It was an ordinary morning. Suddenly, a speeding car rammed into our rickshaw with tremendous force. Before I could understand what had happened, I was thrown onto the road,” she told news agency PTI.

“When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground. My granddaughter was lying beside me. My hand was soaked in blood. I was in shock and pain, but all I could think about was her,” she added.

She recalled begging a nearby car driver to take the child to the hospital. 

The victim’s grandmother told that, “I begged a car driver, who was standing there watching us, to help and take the child to the hospital. Instead of helping, he ran away. I don’t remember if it was the same car which hit us.”

The girl’s mother, who works at a hospital, said she received a call from a staff member informing her about the accident.

The mother told Media that, “A hospital staff saw the entire incident. She later told me that my elderly mother was crying and pleading for help on the road. My daughter was gasping for breath. People had gathered, but no one stepped forward to assist them.” She added that it was a nurse from the hospital who rushed her daughter to the facility with the help of another person.

Accused Arrested

Police said they received a call about the accident on the morning of February 17. The grandmother and the child were first taken to Mata Chanan Devi Hospital and later shifted to a facility in Dwarka. The girl died during treatment.

During the enquiry, Mercy Xavier told the police that around 7:40 am, their e-rickshaw overturned after being hit by a car near the Janakpuri Fire Station, causing serious injuries to both.

A case has been filed at Janakpuri police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to rash and negligent driving causing death. The police seized the vehicle involved and identified the accused driver as Sanjeev, who was arrested on Wednesday.

“The accused driver has been identified as Sanjeev. He was apprehended on Wednesday. Statements of witnesses are being recorded and CCTV footage from cameras installed near the fire station and surrounding areas is being examined to reconstruct the sequence of events,” an officer told.