GSRTC bus rams into college bus on Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway, student dies

A 19-year-old girl was killed, and 15 of her fellow students were injured in a collision between two buses at the start of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway on Monday morning. The bus driver accused of causing the accident has been admitted to LG Hospital, investigators said.

According to I Division traffic police officials, the collision took place between a GSRTC bus and a private bus hired by Charotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT), at about 7.45am, when the GSRTC bus turned on the road and rammed into the stationary bus which was at the side of the road. The CHARUSAT campus is at Changa near Anand.

"There were a few students standing in front of their bus. Due to the collision, their bus hit them. Eight suffered injuries, including Smart Saparia, 19, a resident of Dharmabhoomi Apartment in CTM. She later succumbed to her injuries. Several students who were on the bus were also injured," an investigator said.

EMRI 108 officials said five ambulances were sent to the accident spot and 13 persons were taken for medical assistance. "Two patients were given first aid. The injured students, 11 boys and two girls, were shifted to LG Hospital.

They are in the 18 to 25 years age group," said an official. At LG Hospital, doctors said that the conditions of these patients were stable as of Monday evening.

"The bus driver, whose name can't be disclosed, is a cancer patient. He was recently operated on for mouth cancer and was yet to fully heal. In the accident, he also suffered injuries to the part of his face where he was operated on," said V A Desai, inspector of I Division traffic police station.

Desai said as the ST bus driver is hospitalized, further action will be taken after he is discharged.

Neel Shah, one of the CHARUSAT students admitted to LG Hospital, said they did not realize what had happened. "There was a loud bang after which the bus came towards us and hit us. I don't remember anything after that," he said. Saparia's last rites were performed on Monday evening.