July 23, 2007	Monday	Rajab 07, 1428

LAHORE, July 22: Two teenagers died after their motorcycle slipped owing to reckless driving and subsequently run over by a pickup following them near Garhi Shahu Bridge in Misri Shah on Sunday.

The pickup driver was also injured in the accident.

Sohail Majeed and his friend Usman Latif, 25 and 18 years old respectively, were riding a rented motorcycle (LEM-2302). Sohail died on the spot while Usman and Mukhtar, the loader driver, sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital. Usman also succumbed to injuries while Mukhtar was stated to be in critical condition. Police handed over bodies of the deceased to their families without conducting autopsies.

Witnesses said the motorcyclists were zigzagging when they slipped due to rain-soaked slippery road.

Police have largely failed to stop youngsters from doing wheelie and reckless driving despite repeated directions by the CCPO and SSP (operations). “All divisional SPs, SPOs and SHOs have been strictly directed to check the incidence of wheelie, especially on Saturday nights and on Sunday but it has been observed that police are hardly able to stop them,” admitted a senior police officer.

According to official statistics, eight youngsters have died and 23 injured while doing wheelie during the first six months of 2007. The capital city police have so far registered 124 cases against violators and arrested 249 of them during the period. —Muhammad Faisal Ali