A 15-year-old girl, who was triple-riding on a two-wheeler with friends, died after the two-wheeler hit a stationary e-rickshaw in Haridevpur on the city’s southern fringes on Monday.
Police said neither the girl nor her two friends were wearing helmets.
The girl was identified as Sushmita Sardar, a resident of Brahmapur near Bansdroni on the southern fringes of the city.
According to the police, a 21-year-old youth named Sonu Rajak, a resident of Naktala, was driving the two-wheeler while Sushmita and Riya Haldar, 15, from Bansdroni, were riding pillion.
“The crash happened around 1pm when the two-wheeler travelling along Julpia Road, apparently lost control and rammed into the e-rickshaw that was parked along the road,” said an officer of Haridevpur police station.
The police said Sushmita and Riya were flung off the motorcycle on to the road.
Sushmita suffered fatal injuries while Riya and Sonu escaped with minor injuries.
All three were taken to MR Bangur Hospital where Sonu and Riya were admitted.
Sushmita was declared dead.
Officers of Haridevpur police station said they have impounded both the motorcycle as well as the e-rickshaw.
The motorcycle would be sent for a mechanical test to ascertain if it had developed any mechanical glitches or the crash was the outcome of speeding and human error.
The case has been taken over by the fatal squad of the traffic police.
Several officers of the traffic department, The Telegraph spoke to said “helmetless riding” and riding with “excess people” increase the chances of fatalities on the road.
“If more than one person rides as a pillion, chances are high that the rider will lose balance of the vehicle. This often causes accidents. In addition to that, if the riders are not wearing helmets, they are only inviting trouble for themselves,” said a senior police officer of the rank of assistant commissioner.
Another officer who is attached to this case said wearing a helmet could have protected Sushmita’s head injuries that ultimately caused her death.
According to police records, a large number of fatal road accidents involving two-wheelers in Kolkata had victims who were not wearing helmets.
