A metropolitan court, recently, took a soft stand over the incident wherein Karishma Rao, a law student, negligently rammed her Hyundai Getz into a flock of stationary autos, injuring seven persons at Vile Parle West. On Tuesday, the court decided to release the errant driver on bail. The accident took place on Monday morning at Gulmohar Road. A resident of Oshiwara, Karishma Rao was released on a cash bail of Rs. 10,000.
"We have received conclusive reports from the hospital that Rao wasn't drunk when driving. She was sent for a medical examination after she was arrested from her car on Monday," said Inspector Ashok Pimple. As a matter of fact, the car involved in the incident is not registered under her name.
According to doctors, all the victims are recuperating well and none of them is critical. Following the accident, the injured were rushed to the Cooper Hospital, where one of the victims, Shamshul Haq, was termed critical and subsequently sent to KEM Hospital. Haq possibly suffered from vascular bleeding and abdominal injuries. At the outset, he is being looked after by a private hospital.
Another victim, Rakesh Kukreja was provided with medical attention and sent home the same day. Jaywanti Chorge, Sandhya Lokhande and Gundaji Kamble who were admitted with abdominal injuries, and Vijaykumar Bawa and Prakash Kadam, with fractured legs, are recovering at Cooper. "All the victims here are stable," said Dr. Sulbha Chirmule, Medical Superintendent of Cooper Hospital.
Rao admitted to the offence and explained the events to the police saying that in a bid to avoid collision with a scooterist, Lokhande, who came quite close to the car from the right, she abruptly turned to the left. However, things went out of control and resulted in a crash. The autos, which were at the receiving end, further hit a tea-stall at the corner of the road. A group of auto drivers having breakfast at the stall were hit by the car.
The car then mounted over a pavement, before coming to a halt. As a result, three autos and a scooter were severely damaged. Rao was on her way back home after dropping off her father at the domestic airport.
Thus, in view of such incidents being in the news quite frequently, law enforcers and management needs to step-up the level of safety on roads further.
