Mumbai: Irfan Pathhan’s hand trembled as he swiped his cellphone screen and the picture of his five-month-old son, Arfan, appeared.
The baby was traveling with his parents on a family-wheeled vehicle on Sunday when a drunk driver, driving in the wrong direction, hit his SUV into it.
Arfan struggled for his life for several hours in the hospital before he gave up later that night.
“I can smell liquor in the riders,” Irfan said, his voice violated.
“No one has to lose their child this way.” While the motor vehicle amendment law has climbed a fine because driving a drunken state of RS 2,000 to Rs 10,000, almost no police checks on the road since the Covid-19 outbreak begins.
Meanwhile, driving the wrong side has reached a huge proportion, witness even on the express highway in Mumbai.
Pathans are in Goregaon Timur and plan to meet relatives in Kurla on Sunday.
Irfan drove a scooter while his wife, Sania, Sat Pillion brought Arfan.
They did not dare far from home when a SUV slid towards them from the wrong direction near Lakshdham’s school.
“Motorists cannot control the vehicle.
He first crashed into a Pathans scooter and continued to plow further, hit the next autorickshaw.
Auto changed turtles from the impact,” said a police officer.
Sania and Arfan were thrown from scooters and suffered injuries.
The crowd of observers gathered and arrested the driver.
“I was very angry with the driver, but Arfan hurt his head and I knew we had a little time,” said Irfaan.
He turned his cousin and brought his help to admit Arfan to a local private hospital.
The baby was critical, and had to be transferred to the Nanavati Hospital in Vile Parle immediately.
Treatment began but Arfan could not get at night.
Continuous traffic campaign views against drunk driving during the last decade have reduced fatality and unifying injuries.
But the pandemic applied the brake to the campaign.
The drive needs to be continued without further delay.
Strict enforcement and see the back design can help overcome the examples of driving the wrong side.
Police Dindoshi posted a driver, Sunil Yadav, with the provisions of the IPC Law and motorized vehicles.
Yadav (32) is a driver with a private company.
He has planned to meet a friend and drot a few drinks at home before leaving in his company’s car.
Medical tests detect alcohol in their blood, police said.
Because of his violations in a hurry, the court released it on Monday.
Irfan said his wife could not be changed and they were looking for exemplary punishment for motorists.
“I have identified several eyewitnesses and wants their statement noted by the police so that gravity violations can be established,” he said.
A V Shenoy Activists with Mumbai Mobility Forum said traffic violations need to be categorized as ‘the most severe’, ‘severe’ and ‘less severe’ depending on the risks they pose on life and safety of other road users.
“For the violation category ‘the most severe’, the punishment must be fast and tight, if not, there will be no deterrent effect,” he said.