Pune School Bus Accident: Iron Rods Pierces Bus, Eight Children Injured

Uruli Kanchan, 9th October 2025: Eight pre-school children and their teacher narrowly escaped serious injuries when several iron rods from a pick-up truck pierced the rear windscreen of their school bus on Wednesday afternoon. The bus driver had applied emergency brakes to avoid hitting a motorcyclist.

The incident occurred around 2 pm at Sortapwadi on the Pune-Solapur highway, approximately 26 km from Pune city. The motorcyclist, a 70-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Loni Kalbhor. The pick-up truck driver fled the scene following the collision, police said.

Inspector Shankar Patil of Uruli Kanchan police explained, “Our preliminary investigation indicates that the bus driver had to brake suddenly when a motorcyclist crossed the median and appeared in front of the bus unexpectedly. The pick-up truck carrying iron rods was following closely behind and collided with the bus, causing the rods to pierce its rear windscreen.”

He added that the children’s injuries were caused primarily by broken glass fragments and the sudden jolt, rather than the iron rods themselves. “The children were taken to a nearby hospital and discharged after receiving preliminary treatment,” Patil said.

Bhakti Shewale, managing director of Olympus School for Excellence in Bhandgaon, Daund taluka, said the bus was carrying 33 pre-school students, two teachers, and two attendants on their way to a nearby nursery for a field trip. “The pick-up truck was illegally carrying iron rods that extended dangerously beyond its body. The bus driver had to apply sudden brakes when a two-wheeler appeared right in front of the bus,” she said.

Shewale added, “The impact shattered the rear windscreen, and fragments entered the bus, causing minor injuries to some children. Our staff immediately rushed to the spot, ensured the students received first aid, and then handed them over to their parents.”

Inspector Patil noted that the accident caused significant traffic congestion on the Pune-Solapur highway. “We had to use cranes to clear the vehicles, and traffic gradually returned to normal,” he said.

Following the incident, the Uruli Kanchan police registered cases against the motorcyclist and the pick-up truck driver under sections 281 (rash driving) and 125 (acts endangering life or personal safety) of the BNS, along with relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. The bus driver filed the complaint.