123 Kolkata: An avid morning walker (78), lost her life after a school bus hit her barely a few metres from the Wellington crossing around 7.10 am on Monday. The police said the victim, identified as Shanti Devi Singh, a resident of Rani Rashmoni Road in the Janbazar area, might have fallen in the blind spot of the driver. However, cops are still not clear about the exact circumstances.
The school bus, carrying over 20 school children studying at two reputed missionary schools on AJC Bose Road, sped away immediately, said Sealdah guard officials. The driver stopped the bus near Entally Market, close to the schools, and asked the attendant to take care of the children. He then fled. The police traced the bus driver and arrested him. The local police station claimed the bus had dropped the children at a missionary girls' school located nearby and was taking a left turn when the accident took place.
According to Rajkishore Singh, an executive with a private firm and the victim's son, he and his mother had the regular habit of going for morning walks. "On Monday, we went in our separate directions, my mother choosing to walk towards Wellington Square," said Singh.
Cops said the school bus was waiting to pick up a school student when Shanti might have decided to cross over. "What she might not have realised was that she was too close to the bus. When the school bus began to move, the driver did not spot the woman and the accident took place," said an officer.
Singh told TOI that another woman who was at the spot was the first to return to Janbazar and inform of the accident. "By the time I reached the accident spot, my mother was shifted to NRS Hospital. Here, I was informed she was no more. I really do not know what took place," said Singh.
Police said that the driver claimed he was not aware that the woman was at the spot. "He has been driving a school bus for a considerable time. He claimed that he fled from the spot with the bus for the safety of the children," said an officer.
"We have been requesting all those associated with buses to install blind spot mirrors that can help drastically reduce such accidents. They are fitted in several govt buses, unlike private buses," an officer said.
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