Hyderabad: A toddler, who was mowed down by a police vehicle in Yadadri’s Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple on Wednesday, has succumbed to injuries. The head constable, who was at the wheel, has been arrested.

Reports said that the three-year-old’s family had decided to spend the night at the temple premises. The family members were asleep under a tree, in the parking area when the head constable for City Armed Reserve, Shekhar, long with another constable friend, had also visited the temple.

Shekhar went to the temple to offer prayers after his promotion from constable to head constable. The horrific incident took place when the police vehicle as backing up and the constable missed seeing the girl on the ground. The vehicle ran over her soon after.

The girl was immediately rushed to a government hospital in Bhongir where she was administered first-aid and later shifted to a private hospital in LB Nagar. The toddler suffered grievous head injury and internal injuries. Doctors pronounced her dead by 6 am on Sunday.

The girl’s family was left grief-stricken and her father Mallesh, a private employee, was inconsolable.

Shekhar was posted at Yadadri for phase two of election of zilla parishad territorial constituencies and mandal parishad territorial constituencies.

The accused policeman was arrested from his headquarters by the Yadadri police.

“The girl died of severe head injury. We have altered the Section from 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) to 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC,” said Yadadri inspector, Narasimha Rao, after arresting Shekhar.