Hit by car,boy dies after being abandoned en route to hospital

A 13-year-old boy was injured after he was hit by a car in Palakkad district recently but the driver of the vehicle allegedly abandoned him en route to hospital where he was pronounced dead later, prompting the Kerala Human Rights Commission to register a case on its own over the incident.

Police arrested the driver on Friday after the family complained.

Seventh standard student Sujith was hit by the car on December 12 at Kaithakkuzhi in Palakkad district.

He was taken to hospital in the same car accompanied by a neighbour but en route, the driver told him that the car had a flat tyre and asked him to take the child in another vehicle.

The neighbour later found another vehicle and took the boy to a nearby hospital but the child had succumbed to injuries by then.

The commission registered the case and asked the district police chief and collector to inquire and submit a report within three weeks.

"There was a grave mistake on the driver's part. It is the duty of the driver to take the injured to the nearest hospital.

However, he did not do so," commission member P Mohandas said in the order.

He also said the government has started enough trauma care units in every nook and corner of the state but still such incidents were happening.

Police said the driver had admitted to abandoning the injured boy after lying about a flat tyre.