A purported CCTV footage capturing the moments of the accident that killed eight-year-old Souraneel Sarkar and injured his father on Friday emerged on Saturday. (Video sourced from TV channel ABP Ananda)
- The clip starts with a white minitruck and a private bus standing abreast on the Taratala-bound flank of Diamond Harbour Road, near its intersection with Biren Roy Road (West), at Behala Chowrasta. The vehicles are waiting at the traffic signal. A few pedestrians are seen crossing the road.
- After a while, the minitruck moves forward. Barely a second later, more than one person seem to be falling headlong on the road behind the minitruck as the bigger frame of a truck emerges from its rear. Almost at the same time, a small pickup is seen between the white minitruck and the bigger truck. The clip suggests the two persons were very close to the bigger truck.
- The footage suggests the bigger truck started moving forward as the vehicles in front did so, the usual movement after a signal turns green. From the truck driver’s cabin, which is around 10ft high from the surface of the road, spotting pedestrians so close is often very difficult. “It becomes a blind spot,” said a traffic officer. The truck appeared to cross a hump after the people fell on the road.
- The minitruck, the bus and the pickup keep moving. While the minitruck speeds away, the bus veers to the left of the road to pick up passengers. The pickup and a couple of other vehicles overtake the bus from its right.
- The truck halts for a couple of seconds after the accident, only to accelerate and move away. Cars come to a halt near the crash spot and people are seen running towards it.
