A pool car ferrying school students crashed into a stationary truck on Dhapa Road, near the Science City crossing of EM Bypass, on Thursday morning and one of the students and the driver were injured, police said.

Ankita Malick, 15, suffered head injuries and has been admitted to a private hospital in Salt Lake.

The driver of the pool car, Raju Das, 22, also suffered multiple injuries. He was taken to NRS Medical College and Hospital, from where he was discharged after treatment.

Das told the police the 11-year-and-10-month-old vehicle — a Force Omni Bus — had a malfunctioning steering wheel and that apparently caused the accident.

More than 10 students were travelling in the car. The vehicle was picking up students before heading for the school when the accident happened around 9.10am.

The front portion of the vehicle crumbled and the glass windows smashed under the impact of the crash.

All the children were rescued out of the vehicle but one had to be admitted to hospital with multiple injuries, the police said.

“The mangled remains of the vehicle will undergo a mechanical test to ascertain whether it had developed a snag. A case of rash and negligent driving has been started against the driver,” said an officer of Pragati Maidan police station.

The accident happened two days after a Class IV student, who was returning home from school on his mother’s scooter, was killed after a bus that was allegedly trying to overtake another hit the two-wheeler’s handlebar in Salt Lake.

“The pool car was moving at a very high speed, which is evident from how it crashed into the stationary truck. The driver has been charged with rash and negligent driving. He is injured and will undergo a CT scan on Friday,” the officer said.

The driver told the police that he was on his way to pick up another student, who lives near the accident spot, when he lost control of the steering wheel.

The driver has a valid licence but the vehicle’s tax permit expired on March 16 and its pollution-under-control certificate lapsed on February 29, the police said.

Both documents are mandatory for running a pool car.

“There are a few guidelines that every pool car operator has to follow. These documents are mandatory,” an officer said.

The pool car owner has been summoned by the police.

According to guidelines issued by the state transport department, every pool car should be fitted with a tracking device, a panic button and a speed-limiting device in functioning condition, said an officer in the traffic department. Also, a pool car’s speed cannot exceed 40kmph.

“The vehicle was moving at a much higher speed,” the officer said.

“Every pool car should have a trained attendant to assist the children while boarding and getting off the vehicle and crossing roads. There was no attendant in the vehicle that met with the accident today,” the officer said.

The vehicle also did not have a board mentioning that it was “On school duty”, he said.

“We will investigate all aspects and act according to law,” said the deputy commissioner of police, east division, Arish Bilal.