Indian student gets bail in alleged hit-and-run case in Australia

IANS

Melbourne, May 20

An 18-year-old Indian student has been granted bail by an Australian court after allegedly hitting three schoolboys at a crossing and driving away from the crash scene in Sydney, a media report said.

Vansh Khanna, who arrived in Sydney earlier this year, was arrested on Fox Street in Lane Cove on Thursday evening and taken to Chatswood police station, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

He was granted bail at Manly Local Court on Friday on condition that he reports to police, not drives a car and surrenders his passport.

Emergency services responded on Thursday to reports that three boys, aged 12 and 13, had been struck by a car as they were allegedly crossing the roadway whilst facing a green pedestrian signal.

The children were treated by New South Wales (NSW) paramedics and were later taken to hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries on leg and head.

Police were informed that after the crash the vehicle drove from the scene where the driver allegedly failed to stop or render assistance, an NSW Police statement read.

A woman told 2GB radio she saw the incident and said the Khanna did not stop after hitting the boys.

"They just went through so fast, the noise of the boys hitting the car was horrifying... A couple of people got his rego number," The Herald reported the woman as saying.

Khanna was slapped with seven offences, including dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct while in charge of a motor vehicle.

He was also charged with failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm, failing to stop and assist after impact causing injury and proceeding through a red traffic light.

His Honda Accord has been seized for mechanical and forensic examination and police also issued him a licence suspension notice.

Khanna will face court for mention on June 8.