Kerala Mercedes Crash Victim's Family Challenges Teen Driver's Bail

The family of a 55-year-old scooter rider who was killed after being hit by a Mercedes-Benz allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy in Kochi has approached the Kerala High Court, seeking cancellation of the teenager's bail.

Bhadra Keerthy and Bharath Sankar, the children of the man who died in the accident, Jayabalakrishnan, have challenged the decision to allow the minor driver to remain on bail despite the seriousness of the accident.

The deadly crash occurred around 2:20 am on October 25 along the Vallarpadam-Kalamassery Container Road in Kochi.

According to the family's petition, the teenager was driving the luxury car at a speed exceeding 108 kmph in rainy conditions. The petition claims he was recording the car's speedometer on his mobile phone with one hand while steering the vehicle with the other.

The family argues that the circumstances of the accident point to extremely dangerous driving and that the courts failed to give sufficient weight to the seriousness of the incident while granting bail.

The petition also raises concerns about the teenager's family background, pointing out that his father is a serving judicial officer.

The victim's children fear that allowing the teenager to remain on bail could create opportunities to influence witnesses or interfere with evidence in the ongoing investigation.

The teenager was granted bail on the day of the accident. The Kerala government and the victim's family subsequently challenged the decision.

However, on November 5, a court in Ernakulam upheld the bail granted to the minor driver.

The family has now approached the Kerala High Court, arguing that a person's age should not be the only consideration while deciding bail, particularly in a case involving a death and concerns over the investigation.

The petition seeks to overturn both the original order granting bail and the subsequent court decision that upheld it.

The High Court is yet to decide on the family's plea.