Bathinda schoolboy crashes speeding car into tree, killed

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 10

A student of Class XI died yesterday after his car crashed into a tree. He was allegedly driving at high speed. The 16-year-old boy was returning after dropping his mother at Bhagta Bhai Ka bus stand. The incident took place outside a marriage place on Bajakhana road near Bhagta Bhai Ka.

The boy seemed to be obsessed with speed. Earlier also in his social media stories he had posted videos showing car being driven around 160-180 km per hour. One such video dates back to December 31, 2023.

The deceased has been identified as Uday Partap Singh, a student of Delhi Public School here. He belonged to Moga district, but was staying with his mother and his two sisters at his maternal family house at Sirewala village in Bhagta Bhai Ka block in the district.

Despite the fact that children below 18 years are not legally allowed to drive two-wheelers or any other vehicle, underage driving is rampant in the city. Teenage students can be seen risking their lives by driving two-wheelers at breakneck speed while traffic cops prefer to look the other way.

With the city being a hub of coaching centres, children as young as 13-14 years can be seen riding two-wheelers and those aged between 15-16 years can be seen driving cars as they make their way to the coaching centres. The students, nowadays, are seen going to schools in their own vehicles than in school vans or buses.

A teacher of a private school here on the condition of anonymity said it had become a fad among students to drive bikes and cars. “These teenagers love to flaunt their vehicles. They often overspeed, jump red lights, make illegal turns and indulge in rash driving. By giving vehicles to these students, parents put their wards in grave danger,” the teacher added.

She said strict checking on roads was one solution, but ultimately the responsibility lies with the parents who were bound by law not to allow underage children to drive.

“You can stand outside any of the schools in the morning and evening and witness a huge number of underage drivers plying two-wheelers in a rash manner in order to impress their friends or for a thrill,” said a city resident Gagandeep Singh.

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