ISLAMABAD: Two children died, while four other members of the same family were injured, due to an accident within the limits of Tarnol police station on Thursday.

According to police sources, Muhammad Azam was driving a car on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road when his car collided with a truck, which was parked on the side of the road.

Because of the accident, two-year-old Ali Haider and 12-year-old Tariq passed away. Three other teenagers, Aslam, Muhammad Yousaf and Muhammad Ali, who were sitting on the rear seat, were injured.

Azam, 40, was also critically injured and shifted to the intensive care unit of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

Tarnol’s Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Yousuf told Dawn that Azam is a resident of Rawalpindi and had come with his nephews to fill his car with compressed natural gas (CNG).

“After filling the CNG, they were going back to Rawalpindi. Ali Haider, a toddler, was sitting in the driver’s lap,” he said.

“The car was going at a high speed and suddenly went out of control and hit a truck, which was parked on the left side of the road. There is a possibility that the child moved the steering wheel,” the SHO said.

“Ali Haider and Tariq, who was sitting on the front passenger seat, died on the spot, while Azam was shifted to Pims in a critical condition. The rest of the three children are also injured, but they are out of danger,” he said.

A traffic police officer said that the citizens should be careful while driving, especially on the main roads, because chances of death and severe injuries are higher while driving at a fast pace.

“Many people drive with their children sitting in their laps. This is a dangerous practice, because the children try to move the steering wheel. Moreover in case of an accident, the steering wheel can kill the child,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014

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