2 schoolgirls injured as car returning after kalashakkottu veers onto footpath in Kollam

Two students were severely injured after being hit by a speeding car near the KSRTC bus stand link road at Asramam in Kollam on Tuesday evening. The injured have been identified as Chinnu Lakshmi (13) and Dhana Lakshmi (13).

The Kollam East Police said the driver of the vehicle, Devanand (20) has been taken into custody and an investigation is underway.

The students were walking back from school along the footpath around 6.40 pm, when a car returning from the kalashakkottu celebrations rammed into them. Visuals showed the car hurtling along the road and then taking a sudden turn towards the left, leading to the accident. Due to the impact, Chinnu Lakshmi fell into the nearby lake, while Dhana Lakshmi was thrown onto the footpath.

The girls were initially rushed to the Kollam District Hospital and were later shifted to Travancore Medicity Hospital Kollam.

According to the FIR, Chinnu Lakshmi sustained internal bleeding and injuries to her head, spine and left hand. Dhana Lakshmi suffered injuries to her left leg along with multiple bruises.

According to Chinnu Lakshmi’s grandmother Baby Amma, six students and three adults were walking along the footpath when the car veered out of control.

“My Chinnu and Dhana Lakshmi were walking ahead of the rest of us when the car hit them,” she said.

She added that both the girls underwent surgery on Tuesday night and are yet to regain consciousness.

“We do not know when we will be able to take them home. The doctors said they need to be monitored closely to ensure there is no infection,” she told Onmanorama.

The police have registered a case under section 281 (negligent driving) and section 125(a) and (b) (negligent acts endangering human life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, along with sections 134(A) (duty to assist) and 134(B) (duty to notify police) of the Motor Vehicles Act 2015.