Jalpaiguri (WB), Jul 8 (PTI) A 12-year-old boy died on the spot after being run over by a speeding pick-up van on National Highway 31C in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday, police said.

The incident occurred near Laxmipara tea estate in Banarhat area around 11.30 am, an officer said, adding that the driver fled the spot with the vehicle.

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Angry locals blocked the national highway and torched a traffic police motorbike, alleging that the incident occurred due to the negligence of the traffic police personnel deployed near the accident site, he said.

They also vandalised several vehicles that got stranded on the busy highway due to the agitation, the officer said.

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A huge police contingent was deployed in the area, he said.

The agitators lifted the blockade a few hours later after being persuaded by senior police officers to do so, the officer added. PTI COR ACD ACD 07081751 NNNNmmission to increase diversity in motorsport.

Soccer players on fields in England and Germany have taken the knee together simultaneously before games in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and F1 drivers discussed what they should do during a drivers' briefing on Friday evening.

Leclerc and Verstappen wrote on Twitter before the race why they chose not to kneel.

"I believe that what matters are facts and behaviours in our daily life rather than formal gestures that could be seen as controversial in some countries,” Leclerc said.

“I will not take the knee but this does not mean at all that I am less committed than others in the fight against racism.”

Verstappen explained his choice.

“I am very committed to equality and the fight against racism. But I believe everyone has the right to express themselves at a time and in a way that suits them," the Dutch driver said.

"I will not take the knee today but respect and support the personal choices every driver makes.”

Hamilton called out other F1 teams on Thursday for not doing enough to combat racism, and said the sport still needs to push for more diversity. Mercedes is competing in an all-black car instead of the usual silver, while Hamilton and Bottas have “End Racism” written on the car's halo.

Hamilton praised some drivers for speaking out against racism, but he still feels others need to do more and he raised that in their briefing.

“Silence is generally complicit. There still is some silence in some cases,” he said on Saturday. "There are people who still don't fully understand exactly what is happening and what (is) the reason for these protests.”

Motorsport's governing body FIA is donating one million euros ($1.12 million) to improve diversity in motorsport.

“Financing internships and apprenticeships for under-represented groups to ensure that they can fulfil their potential and have access to promising careers,” the FIA said on Sunday. AP

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)