Toddler mowed down by speeding pick-up van

Hyderabad : A three-year-old toddler playing near her house was run over by a speeding pick-up van while the driver was reversing the vehicle at Mailardevpally of Cyberabad commissionerate on Tuesday. The victim, who has been identified as Esther Rani, was rushed to Niloufer hospital, but was declared brought dead by doctors, said police.

According to police, Esther, accompanied by her mother and aunt, was standing at a scrap shop beside their home. While the two women watched, Esther was playing. Meanwhile, a pick up van, which was parked a few meters away, went out of control and came towards the girl in the reverse direction. Even before her mother and aunt could notice the vehicle coming towards the girl, it knocked down the child and ran over her, leaving her with a severe head injury. As the vehicle was in speed, it went further and hit a stationary scooter, damaging the vehicle.

The girl was rushed to Niloufer hospital for treatment, but was declared brought dead. Mailardevpally police have registered a case against the driver and started a probe. Primary inquiries revealed that the driver did not put the vehicle on a hand brake, due to which it went out of control, leading to the accident. Further investigations are underway, police said.