NAVI MUMBAI: A six-year-old boy in the front passenger seat of a car was killed late on Saturday after being hit by the airbag, which was deployed when an SUV ahead of the vehicle crashed into a median in Vashi, rose about 6ft in the air and landed on its bonnet.
The boy, Harsh Arethia, suffered no external injuries and doctors suspect he died of shock and haemorrhage due to polytrauma. An FIR for rash and negligent driving causing death was lodged against the SUV driver, Dr Vinod Pachade (40), a cosmetic surgeon.
Other occupants of the car—the boy’s three minor cousins and his father, who was at the wheel—sustained minor injuries, as did Dr Pachade.
Experts said while airbags are a vital safety mechanism, they have been known to cause facial and abdominal injuries in some cases. Therefore, they said, children, especially those under the age of 13, should not be seated in the front.
The boy’s father, Mavji Arethia, who runs a stationery store at Masjid Bunder, told TOI that he lives with his brother in Vashi. After returning home late on Saturday, Harsh and his nephews asked to be treated to some panipuri. Arethia took out his hatchback, with Harsh seated in the front and others at the back.
“Around 11.30pm, when we neared Blue Diamond Hotel junction in Sector 28, Vashi, an SUV in front of my vehicle lost control and crashed into the road median. As I was very close, I hit the brakes, but the SUV’s rear end rose about 6-7ft in the air and landed on my car’s bonnet. My car’s airbags were immediately deployed,” he said.
Assistant inspector Dipak Gavit of Vashi police station said Harsh lost consciousness after the sudden impact with the airbag and was declared brought dead at a civic hospital.
Police said Dr Pachade, a Ghansoli resident, did not leave the accident spot and went to Vashi police station to record his statement. On Monday, he was again summoned to the police station and served with a mandatory notice under Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, directing him to cooperate with the investigation and be in court when a chargesheet is filed against him.
Arethia said the family will perform Harsh’s final rites at their hometown in Kutch, Gujarat.
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