A second pedestrian injured in the Haryana Roadways training bus accident in Gurugram has succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll in the incident to two, police said on Wednesday. The trainee driver accused of taking the bus without permission remains absconding.
The deceased, identified as 36-year-old Kishun Dev from Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, was undergoing treatment at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital after sustaining critical injuries in the June 12 crash. He died on Tuesday night, according to Gurugram Police.
The accident occurred when a trainee driver allegedly took a Haryana Roadways training bus without authorization and drove it through narrow lanes in Sector 37, hitting several pedestrians. Another victim, 51-year-old Ravi Shankhar from Madhya Pradesh, had died shortly after the incident.
Police have registered a case under sections related to causing death by negligence and rash driving under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the accused driver.
Investigators said the 30-year-old trainee had taken the bus from a parking area near Leisure Valley Park in Sector 29 without permission while participating in a heavy vehicle driving training program.
Following the incident, Haryana Roadways suspended inspector Vidyanand, who was supervising a batch of trainee drivers on the day of the accident. Officials stated that both the trainees and the vehicle were under his responsibility when the accused allegedly took the bus for an unauthorized drive that ended in tragedy.
In response to the incident, Haryana Roadways has announced changes to its training procedures. Authorities said lock-based ignition systems will be installed in training buses to prevent unauthorized use in the future.
Officials also revealed that the training buses currently do not require ignition keys, allowing anyone who enters the vehicle to start and operate it, a loophole that is now being addressed.
