An Indian taxi driver who allegedly collided with a four-year-old boy who was riding his bike with his dad in a quiet Adelaide suburb denies the allegations and is prepared to go to trial.
Bahal Singh Chahal, 51, was accompanied by an interpreter in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday where he said he would “strongly contest” the single charge of cause serious harm by careless use of a vehicle.
Chalal, who lives in Ascot Park, allegedly struck the child with his 13cabs van while making a right-hand turn in Plympton Park on July 28 this year, knocking the boy from his bike.
CCTV shared by 7 News shows the child following his dad across a street before the van runs into him. The father then leaps off his own bicycle and rushes to help his son.
The four-year-old suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Chalal’s lawyer Jo Smith asked the court to push the matter towards a pre-trial conference, the Advertiser reported.
“It’s only going to go all the way [to trial] this one, we suspect,” she said.
Chalal will return to court in January.
Header image: Left, Chalal outside court on Monday. Right, CCTV footage of the alleged incident (7 News)
