Hyderabad: Ms P. Radhika, mother of little Ramya who died on Saturday eight days after a car accident, is devastated and inconsolable.

On July 1, little Ramya was enjoying an ice cream beside Ms Radhika in the car seconds before the accident that rendered her brain-dead. Ms Radhika .was seriously injured in the mishap and underwent a surgery and was bedridden. On Sunday, eight days after the ghastly accident, she was brought to her parents’ home at DD Colony near Am-berpet to see her child’s body.

Lying down on a bed, she wept continuously as Ramya’s body was brought into the house after post-mortem. “I lost my daughter. I lost everything,” Ms Radhika wailed as her husband stood by.

“They will understand our loss only when something similar happens to their family,” said the bereaved mother, referring to the drunk youth who caused the accident, adding that he should be punished severely.

“All of them should be punished severely. They should not get away with what they did to us,” she said between tears.

Remembering the horror that unfolded on July 1 at Banjara Hills when they were returning after picking up Ramya from school, she said, “It was the second day of her new school. After picking her up from school, she said she wanted ice cream. On the way, we stopped and got her one. She was sitting beside me and enjoying it. Suddenly the crash happened. I could see blood oozing from our bodies.”

A car being drive on the other side of the road by a driver, K. Shravil, hit the divider and hurtled across the road and fell on Ramya’s car. Doctors said Radhika suffered multiple injuries including a leg fracture and would take at least four months to recover.

Her husband P. Venkat Ramana, a senior consultant in an MNC at Hitec City, also broke into tears. He had dropped his daughter to school on the fateful day before going to work. In the evening, he was informed over the phone about the accident in which his brother Rajesh as well. His elder brother Ramesh and father Madhusudhan Chari are undergoing treatment in hospital for their injuries.

Bar, drunk driver face people’s anger
A large number of people visited the DD Colony residence of accident victim Ramya who passed away on Saturday after battling for nine days.

Demand for enforcement of stricter checks against drunk driving, even during the day and checks on teenage drinking was strident. Activists wanted stringent punishment for drunk driving.

“Saddened by Ramya’s passing away. Rest in peace Ramya. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a most reprehensible act,” said minister K.T. Rama Rao in his brief message.

Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said the government would ensure that the culprits got the maximum punishment. Several social media users responded with grief. “Little Ramya finally gave up on Saturday night having struggled for nine days. The TGIF bar had an offer with drinks (1+1). Take action against the bar, which served liquor to underaged students, and punish all those students severely,” wrote Harish Mudhiraj, a Facebook user.

“We have lost one more little angel and future of Telangana. Wake up youth! Do not drink and drive. One day your loved ones may also face this tragic situation,” said FB user Abdul Rasheed.