10-Year-Old Hyderabad Girl, Allegedly Hit By Drunk Student Driver, Dies

A 10-year-old Hyderabad girl who was on ventilator for over a week after she met with an accident has died in hospital. The car she was travelling in - along with her family - was hit by a speeding car allegedly driven by a drunk student.

It was Ramya's first day at a new school and her family had come to pick her up. On their way back, as their Santro neared the Banjara Hills area, an i10 - allegedly driven by 20-year-old Shravil - came speeding from the other side. It rammed the road divider and toppled onto the family's car killing Ramya's uncle Rajesh, who was behind the wheels, on the spot.

Ramya, who was on ventilator support for eight days, has died last night. She was suffering from internal bleeding in her head.

"Ramya had become brain dead and her stem cell reflexes had stopped," said Dr J Gopikrishna of Care Hospital.

Ramya's mother Radhika, another uncle and grandfather had also suffered serious injuries in the accident.  Ramya's mother was admitted to city's Yashoda hospital with multiple fractures and it is only after a week she could see her daughter. Her grandfather, who suffered internal injuries, also underwent a surgery.

The accused, Shravil, an engineering student, and his five friends had ended up at a local bar after missing a cinema ticket, the police said. He was arrested and a case of "culpable homicide" was filed against him.

''Our family is shattered because someone else was drunk and reckless. But no one in the government has reacted,'' said Ramya's cousin Vivek.

Rajesh, 35,  was also to leave for the US a week after. His father-in-law Srinivas said, "the government should make this a test case on how terrible things can get because ''parents allow youngsters to drive vehicles even without a licence''.

Investigating officer Srinivas told NDTV that the engineering student did not even have a driving licence. The car belonged to the father of one of his friends.