Chennai: Illegal racing on flyover kills 2, one a racer, other a father of two

CHENNAI: A late-night illegal street racing by college students claimed two lives – one of the students involved in the race and a 49-year-old motorist, after their bikes collided head-on on the Peters Road flyover, Royapettah, on Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as G Kumaran (49), a resident of Begum Main street, Royapettah, and S Syed Sardar Basha (19) of Jawahar Khan Street, Royapettah. Kumaran ran an imitation jewellery store in T Nagar while Basha was a first year student at New College. Basha's friend, M Mohammed Suhail (20), a third-year college student who was racing with Basha, sustained injuries and is under treatment at a hospital.

Though the flyover was 'closed for traffic', both deceased bypassed the metal barricades and entered it, police said.

Around 11.30 pm, people on the service road under the flyover heard screams and noticed thick smoke emanating from the flyover and rushed to the scene to find the mangled remains of the two-wheelers and the motorists lying unconscious in a pool of blood. Police reached the spot and moved them to a hospital, where Basha and Kumaran were declared brought dead.

Police said a probe revealed that Syed Sardar Basha and Suhail had started racing on separate bikes from Thousand lights mosque to Royapettah hospital, and Kumaran was on his way to the airport to meet a client.

While speeding on the flyover, the students’ bikes brushed against each other and they lost control of the vehicle, with Basha colliding head on with Kumaran's two-wheeler. Police said neither student was wearing helmets while Kumaran was wearing one.

Bereaved family members condemned the traffic police for not taking enough measures to curb street racing. Following the accident, past social media posts by the injured college student, showing his group performing dangerous bike stunts on city roads and riding dangerously, surfaced, attracting censure from the general public.

"The parents of youths should not encourage using high-speed two- wheelers and should not buy them such bikes. Now, their own child and the father of two young children have died," a Royapettah resident told mediapersons. Kumaran, the sole breadwinner of the family, is survived by his wife Rajaveni and two daughters Sushma (15) and Lakshita (7).

Triplicane Traffic Investigation Wing personnel have registered a case and are investigating.