Bus runs over woman in Ultadanga

A 43-year-old woman was killed after being hit by a private bus at Ultadanga on Saturday morning. The bus didn’t stop and dragged the woman for a few yards after hitting her.

Police said the victim Sonia Basu was a resident of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Road.

Basudeb Sinha, who witnessed the incident, said that the offending bus on route Dankuni to Garia was heading towards Hudco crossing when the accident took place. The packed bus was at a high speed in the morning rush hour and the driver had not seen the woman crossing the road.

The front wheel of the bus ran over her when she fell after being hit by the bus. The driver, however, didn’t listen to the cries of eye witnesses and continued driving the bus at the same high speed. The bus dragged the woman for a few yards and finally stopped when passengers travelling in the same bus shouted asking the driver to stop the vehicle.

Local people brought the woman out from under the bus. Police too went to the spot. They took the woman to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where she was declared brought dead. The local people caught the bus, but the driver managed to flee.

Mahadeb Banerjee, who takes auto-rickshaw from Ultadanga everyday for Salt Lake, said both auto-rickshaw and bus drivers flout traffic norms to get more passengers. Often auto-rickshaws are parked on roads. Bus drivers drive their vehicles recklessly and don’t care to stop at bus stops to let a passenger get down properly from the vehicle which often leads to accident.

A senior police officer said that strict steps will be taken against the driver of the offending bus.