DAV Public School. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Feb. 7: A 16-year-old student driving her two-wheeler was crushed to death under the wheels of a bus belonging to her school after she skidded and fell while negotiating a patch of road made slippery by an oil slick.

Sweta Suman, a student of Class XI at Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) Public School, BSEB Colony, was riding to school around 8 in the morning when the accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses said the girl was driving at a fair speed when the two-wheeler skidded on a patch of oil on the road at Rajvanshi Nagar Colony.

Sweta, the eyewitnesses said, was flung off the two-wheeler. At the same time, a bus belonging to her own school that was coming from the opposite direction struck her.

“Before she could stand up, the bus hit her and ran over her,” said an eyewitness.

Local people rushed her to Rajvanshi Nagar hospital from where she was referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). Sweta died on way to PMCH.

A shocked Ramanuj Prasad, the principal of DAV School, BSEB Colony, said they did not have much information other than what had been told by police and the local people. “Based on the information we have gathered, it appears that Sweta’s two-wheeler skidded on oil on the road. The girl died while she was being taken to hospital,” he said.

After the incident, a large number of people assembled at the spot and blocked traffic for hours. Classes at the school were suspended after news spread about the accident. Only students of Class XII attended school as they would be appearing for the board practical examinations.

The school authorities have decided to suspend classes till February 9. Prasad said: “The incident is very unfortunate as the girl was very studious and intelligent. We have decided that the school will remain closed till February 9,” he said.

An officer of the Shastrinagar police station said they were trying to catch hold of the bus driver.

“At this moment, we don’t have much information about the family background of the girl. The bus driver, soon after the accident, fled with the vehicle and the police are trying to trace him. The police are in talks with the school authorities. He will be nabbed soon,” an officer of the police station said.

The accident has again raised questions on two-wheeler driving by underage persons.