Late-night joyride by minors ends in death of Class X girl

NEW DELHI: A late-night joyride went horribly wrong for two minors in south Delhi when the 17-old-year boy at the wheel lost control of the speeding car and smashed into a tree, killing his 16-year-old friend and leaving him with serious head injuries early Friday morning.
Police said the boy had sneaked out in his father’s Maruti Zen after his parents had gone to bed and asked the girl next door to accompany him. The two had just taken their Class X exams and went out without telling their parents. Their fathers were colleagues at Air India and both families lived in the company-owned quarters in Vasant Vihar.
The two drove out of Air India Colony around 12.30am through Poorvi Marg and sped towards the Outer Ring Road. Eyewitness told the cops that the car lost control once they reached D-block Vasant Vihar near Paschimi Marg and sped towards a wall. In a bid to avoid hitting the wall, the boy took a sharp right turn and rammed a tree.
“The left side of the vehicle was crushed like a tin can the moment it hit the tree and came to a stop,” said Santha Chhetri, a security guard in the area.
Hearing the crash, residents rushed to the spot and informed police. Fire officials were called in to rescue the two from the mangled vehicle. They were taken to the AIIMS trauma centre where the girl was declared dead on arrival and boy was said to be serious.
The boy’s father, who works as an engineering manager with the airline, told the cops that his son had gone to bed around 11.30am, but later crept out of the house without their knowledge. He said he did not realize that his son was gone until they received a call from the police.
The family said the girl stayed at an adjacent flat in the colony. The two were friends since childhood. “They spent a lot of their free time together,” said a family friend.
An FIR has been registered under Sections 304 A (causing death by negligence), 279 (causing hurt by act of endangering life), 279 (rash driving) of the IPC, said a police officer. The boy’s father will also be challaned for allowing a minor to drive a vehicle.