For once, the traffic police’s crane tried matching an ambulance’s speed. Their sirens sounded identical, so Vijender Prasad, who was on ventilator support inside did not know what transported him to the hospital, the ambulance or the traffic crane.
The 19-year-old met with an accident while riding a bike on the outskirts of Bhongir town on Friday. He rammed a truck on a curvy road and suffered a severe head injury. His friend riding pillion had minor injuries. The duo was without helmets.
“The accident took place around 4 p.m., and he was rushed to the Bhongir Area Hospital. From there, he was taken to Srikara Hospital in Medipally, where he was referred to Yashoda Hospital,” said his cousin G. Narsimha, who was with Vijender in the ambulance from Medipally to Secunderabad.
“He was planning to join a pharmacy course and simultaneously do a part-time job from next week,” he added.
At around 8.30 p.m.,
the ambulance broke down. There was commotion, the youths were panicking, and pushed the ambulance for a distance, said Nallakunta Traffic SI Niranjan, who was part of the drunk driving tests at Habsiguda.
It was in about 15 minutes, unable to source another ventilator-fitted ambulance immediately, the youths and the traffic police decided to tow the ambulance with Vijender with the crane.
“We were slow, but we were moving. Another ambulance was arranged by the driver, and we transferred Vijender into it at Alugaddabavi, two-and-a-half kilometres from the hospital,” Narsimha said.
And by 9.30 p.m., he was admitted to the emergency care at Yashoda Hospital, Secunderabad.
The work of Hyderabad Traffic Police was on Twitter by 10.15 p.m. Instantly, it garnered thousands of views and received messages of appreciation.
Vijender’s condition and treatment remained unknown till 3 p.m. on Saturday. His friends and relatives were also not in the emergency area.
A hospital worker brought the news from inside: “He died. Everything was over by 10.30 p.m.”
Narsimha and Srikanth, Vijender’s brothers, spoke over the phone from Thukkapur village.
“We tried a lot but could not save him. The cremation just got over,” they said.
Bhongir town police, which preliminarily registered the case for investigation under IPC S. 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), on Saturday added S. 304A (causing death by negligence).
