Juvenile rider, pedestrian killed in early morning motorcycle crash in Kasaragod

Kasargod: A pedestrian and a Class 12 student, riding a motorcycle, were killed in a road accident near Kanhangad town in the early hours of Sunday. The deceased have been identified as Nafif (17), son of Rahim and Wahida of Meenapees in Kanhangad town, and Abdul Majeed (56) of Chithari, 1.5 km from Madiyan Junction on the Kasaragod-Kanhangad state highway, where the accident happened.

According to the Hosdurg police, the accident occurred around 2.30 am. Nafif was driving a Mangaluru-registered motorcycle, and his friend Aman, from Meenapees, was riding pillion, said Hosdurg station house officer. "It is a case of juvenile driving. The boy who died and his friend were both minors," said the officer.

They were going towards Kanhangad from Kasaragod when the motorcycle hit Abdul Majeed, who was walking along the state highway, according to the FIR. "After hitting the pedestrian, the rider appears to have lost control of the motorcycle and crashed. The boy was thrown off the vehicle," said the SHO.

Local residents rushed the injured to the Kanhangad District Hospital, but doctors could not save Nafif and Abdul Majeed. Aman escaped with injuries. Police said the case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 281 (rash driving on a public way), Section 125(a) (acts endangering human life) and Section 106(1) (causing death by negligence). They have not yet invoked provisions related to offences by juveniles.

Nafif was a student of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Ambalathara, 15 km from his home at Meenapees.