Sr citizen, dog die after being hit by e-rickshaw in Salt Lake
Times of India | 14 May 2025
123456 Kolkata: A 72-year-old Salt Lake resident, Sikha Dutta, who was hit by an e-rickshaw while walking her dog outside her home at BL Block on May 1, succumbed to her injuries on Sunday night.The dog, a spitz, also died. Dutta, a resident of BL 97 in Sector II, suffered severe injuries and had a punctured lung due to a rib fracture after she was hit by the speeding vehicle outside her house when she stepped out for a walk around 9.30 pm. The vehicle hit her and sped away from the spot. Police have started a hunt for the e-rickshaw driver, but despite the presence of an eyewitness and scratchy CCTV footage, cops said they haven't been able to nab the accused as these vehicles don't have a registration number."I was resting at home when the neighbours informed me that my mother had collapsed on the road after being hit by a vehicle. She was bleeding from her mouth and was unconscious. We admitted her to a local hospital. However, after three days, her condition worsened, and that is when we shifted her to another hospital in Salt Lake," said Nainy Dey, Dutta's daughter.Dey said Dutta suffered a punctured lung because of a rib fracture that deteriorated her condition. Following her death, Dey lodged a police complaint at Bidhannagar East police station. Probing the case, police spoke to multiple residents when one of them – a security guard of an adjacent building, claimed he witnessed the accident. "The woman had barely stepped out and was trying to cross the road when a speeding e-rickshaw hit her. The impact flung her to the left side of the road. The dog also laid motionless," said a cop while narrating the witness account.Cops said they are also trying to retrieve CCTV footage from another house in BL block to confirm the identity of the e-rickshaw driver. "We are also speaking to the rickshaw unions to know more about the driver," said the officer.Speaking to TOI, Dey said their home is right on the main road and that crossing the road has become a hassle in recent times. "The e-rickshaws have added to the trouble as the drivers seem to have no control over their speed," she said.