An 11-year-old schoolgirl is in critical condition. The St. Hubert resident has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Jawaharlall Nehru Hospital in Rose-Belle since the morning of Wednesday, January 18. This after she fell from a National Transportation Corporation (CNT) bus on Route Royale in Saint-Hubert. The 45-year-old driver of the bus, who lives in Trois Boutiques, was arrested, and later released on parole.
It was at approximately 8:20 a.m. on Wednesday, January 18 that this accident occurred. This bus of the CNT to Curepipe had just left the bus station of Saint-Hubert. When it reached the village dispensary, the bus stopped and the little girl, who is in grade 6, took a seat in the third row.
The vehicle had barely driven about 50 meters when the little girl suddenly stood up and came near the entrance door and wanted to get off the bus. At that moment, according to the driver, he was driving at a speed of 35 to 40 kilometers per hour. The door was closed, and the ticket collector was at the back to issue tickets to the passengers.
When the driver saw the little girl, he said he applied the brakes to stop the vehicle, but unfortunately, the door opened. The girl got off and missed a step and ended up on the asphalt. The driver said he stopped the vehicle. He got out, as well as the driver and passengers to assist the girl.
The Cent Gaulettes police station was alerted and dispatched a team to the scene. They evacuated the injured girl to the hospital in Rose-Belle. After giving his statement, the driver was allowed to leave the police station.
