Teen, grandmom die in crash hours after bike gift

Rajkot: What began as a joyful day to celebrate a new motorcycle turned into a tragedy for a 17-year-old boy and his maternal grandmother, who both lost their lives in a road accident just hours after the bike was gifted.

Rikki Kawa, the teenager, received a new motorcycle from his mother and decided to take his 70-year-old grandmother, Gulab Parmar, to a temple in Matel village for a ritualistic pooja on May 10. The two rode from Rajkot to the temple to seek blessings for the new vehicle.

However, while returning home after the ceremony, a speeding truck rammed into their motorcycle near the Waghasiya toll plaza in Morbi district's Wankaner town. The impact flung both the teen and his grandmother onto the road. They were rushed to the govt hospital in Wankaner, where doctors declared them dead.

The incident was reported by Parmar's son, Purvesh, at the Wankaner City police station. In his complaint, he mentioned that he, along with his wife and son, reached his mother's home near Rajkot city around 10 am that day. Later, Rikki set off with his grandmother for the temple visit.

Police have registered a case against the unidentified truck driver, and further investigation is underway.