3 Bengaluru Schoolboys In Late Night Car Race, 1 Dead. Fathers Arrested
A late-night car race by three teens in Bengaluru ended in the death of one of them over the weekend. Two others were injured. All three vehicles they were driving as well as a lorry were badly damaged.
The boys, students of the city's international school, had hit the elevated expressway of the Electronic City late on Saturday night. Each of them was driving a car that belonged to their parents.
The police said the teens admitted to hitting speeds of 150-plus km per hour and losing control of the cars while exiting the flyover around 3 am on Sunday.
A 17-year-old, who was driving a Skoda, died on the spot after crashing into the flyover railing. An Innova being driven by another teen jumped the median and hit a canter lorry coming from the opposite direction. The impact overturned the lorry and its axle was dislodged. The lorry driver was unharmed while the teen sustained minor injuries.
The third teen, who was in another SUV, sustained minor injuries as well. His vehicle was badly damaged.
The police have filed cases against the teenagers as well as their fathers. The men have been arrested. Two of them are leading IT professionals in the city, the police said.
"The boys claim they had gone on such drives earlier with more of their school friends... there could have been more casualties," said Abhishek Goyal, a senior officer of the Traffic Police.
"We have booked the fathers since the vehicles are registered in their name and it was their responsibility to keep the boys under check," the officer added.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police constantly monitor CCTV camera feed from the city and social media accounts to clamp down on racing and street stunts.
Despite that, the Electronic city elevated expressway, airport expressway and NICE road witness racing and stunts by youngsters on cars and bikes.