A five-year-old boy named Abhiram Arkesh was struck and run over by a school bus in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent borough after just stepping off the vehicle, CTV News reported. The incident, captured on surveillance footage, left the young child with multiple fractures in his leg and a broken pelvis, resulting in a three-day coma.
Surveillance Footage Captures the Collision and Driver Departure
Surveillance camera footage reviewed by investigators shows the school bus driver pulling away almost immediately after the vehicle doors close. André Durocher with CAA-Quebec noted that the vehicle’s movement clearly indicated contact. “You could clearly see on the video when he runs over the the young kid, that the bus sort of like moves like that,” Durocher observed regarding the vertical motion of the vehicle, adding that it was impossible for the operator not to know something was struck.
Footage and family accounts indicate the driver returned to the scene minutes later. “He told me, ‘I didn’t do anything. You call the police.’ That’s it. He told me, and he went,” said the boy’s mother, Monika Srinivas. Describing her son’s immediate condition after waking, Srinivas shared, “I’m in shock. I couldn’t talk also, but I ask him, ‘What happened to you? What happened?’ I am feeling pain, mama. I’m feeling pain.” The boy’s father, Narayanappa Arkesh, expressed profound distress over the incident: “It’s cruel. It’s not his mistake, but he has to go through this.”
Police Find No Criminal Intent as Family Considers Lawsuit
Montreal police, known by the acronym SPVM, conducted a collision investigation and determined that the incident involved no criminal intent. The school bus company stated that the driver involved is no longer employed with them and noted that driving records undergo reviews twice a year.
Beyond the physical trauma, the family faces ongoing medical appointments, financial strain from taking time off work, and severe psychological distress. The parents are currently considering legal action in response to the ordeal.
