The truck burns in Pathar Quarry. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, April 8: A 10-year-old boy was crushed to death and his father critically injured when a speeding truck hit the two-wheeler they were riding at Pathar Quarry Tinali here today.

Abhijit Chanda, a Class IV student of S.F.S. School in Satgaon, was returning home to Forest Gate with his father, Prem Chanda, around 2.30pm when killer wheels snuffed out his life.

Abhijit, who was riding pillion, died on the spot. His father was rushed to hospital in a critical condition by some onlookers.

Some others gave the truck, which was carrying a consignment of salt, a chase and intercepted it at a distance.

The driver and the handyman managed to flee as the vehicle bore the brunt of the people’s anger. They smashed its windshield, flattened its tyres and set it on fire.

As the news of the accident spread, the crowd swelled. Furious at reckless driving on VIP Road, the people who had gathered at the spot in hundreds by now blocked the artery, leading to traffic snarls.

The mob chased away the police personnel who arrived at the spot after the accident and did not allow them to take away the child’s body. It also set a traffic police point at Pathar Quarry Tinali ablaze.

The protesters also did not allow fire tenders, which had been called by the police to douse the flames leaping from the truck, to reach the spot.

As the situation took a turn for the worse, top civil and police officials arrived at the spot. They repeatedly requested the people to lift the blockade. When the crowed refused to budge, the police resorted to caning and fired teargas shells.

The protesters also pelted stones at the security personnel, prompting the police and CRPF personnel to fire in the air to disperse the mob. About 10 policemen and firemen were injured in the clash.

After police action dispersed the mob, personnel of the force removed the boy’s body from the spot.

Sub-divisional officer (sadar) C.K. Bhuyan said the crowd has become too belligerent. “Our repeated assurances that action would be taken against those found responsible for the accident fell on deaf ears. They badly beat up a traffic police constable and attacked other security personnel, leaving us no option but to that fire in the air,” he added.

Additional superintendent of police (city) Debojit Deori said the area was still tense and additional reinforcements of police and CRPF personnel had been deployed.

Ram Prabesh Rai, an eyewitness, said the people were angry at reckless driving by truck drivers on the VIP Road and absence of traffic police personnel at Pathar Quarry Tinali. “The protesters even threatened to set ablaze the fire tenders, which arrived at the spot to douse the fire engulfing the truck,” he added.

Another resident, Ramesh Roy Bardhan, said fatal mishaps had become a regular affair on VIP Road because of rash driving by drivers of heavy vehicles, particularly those of the army and trucks.

“This is the fifth accident involving trucks in the Pathar Quarry area alone in the past few months. Despite several requests by the residents, no traffic policeman has been posted in the area,” Bardhan alleged.