Heart-Stopping Moment: Speeding Car Strikes 10-Year-Old Schoolboy in Gurugram, Driver Apprehended

It was supposed to be just another ordinary morning, the kind where a father walks his son to school, a simple routine many of us take for granted. But for 10-year-old Pratham and his father, Anil Kumar, that routine was shattered in a horrifying instant yesterday in Gurugram’s Sector 12, when a speeding car suddenly plowed into the young boy, leaving him with a fractured leg and the community reeling.

The incident, as described by the authorities and Pratham's distraught father, unfolded chillingly. The pair were making their way along the road, heading towards DAV Public School, when out of nowhere, a Mahindra XUV500, traveling at what witnesses described as an alarming speed, struck Pratham from behind. The impact was immediate and brutal. Imagine the terror, the sheer helplessness, as you watch something like that happen right before your eyes, especially to your own child.

The driver, identified later as Sanjeev Kumar, a 40-year-old resident, didn't stop. Instead, in a move that frankly beggars belief, he chose to flee the scene, leaving the injured child and his frantic father in the street. Anil Kumar, understandably in shock, quickly rushed his son to a nearby hospital where medical examinations confirmed a severe fracture in Pratham's leg. It's a long road to recovery for the young boy, who now faces weeks, if not months, of healing and rehabilitation.

Thankfully, the police were swift in their response. An FIR was promptly registered at the Sector 12 police station under several serious sections of the Indian Penal Code, including charges for rash driving, causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others, and voluntarily causing hurt. Following a rapid investigation, which likely involved reviewing CCTV footage and gathering witness accounts, the police managed to track down and apprehend the driver, Sanjeev Kumar. His vehicle, the very XUV500 involved in the hit-and-run, has also been impounded.

This incident, tragic as it is, really highlights a critical and ongoing concern: road safety, particularly around our schools. It's a stark reminder of the dangers pedestrians, especially children, face daily. One can only hope that justice is served for Pratham and his family, and perhaps, more importantly, that this serves as a wake-up call for everyone – drivers to exercise extreme caution, and authorities to ensure safer environments for our youngest citizens. Because no parent should ever have to witness such a harrowing moment on a routine school run.