CHENNAI: A 63-year-old man and his son-in-law died in a road accident near Ambattur on Tuesday evening after their two-wheeler rammed into the centre median when they allegedly tried to chase their pet pup which fell off their scooter and ran.
The eight-year-old son of the younger man, who was also on the vehicle when the accident happened, sustained minor injuries, police said.
According to the Red Hills traffic investigation wing (TIW), the deceased were identified as Marimuthu (30) and his father-in-law Raghupathy (63).
The men, along with Marimuthu's son, Kuralarasan, and their pet pup travelled from their home in Ayapakkam to a relative's house in Tirumangalam. They were returning home in the evening when the accident happened, said the police.
Officials said their investigation revealed that the pup which was on the floorboard in front of the scooter jumped off the vehicle near a traffic signal in Ambattur Industrial Estate.
Marimuthu who was riding the vehicle accelerated hard in an effort to catch up with it. However, in the desperate effort to catch the pet, he lost control of the bike which hit the median.
Passersby rushed to the rescue of the injured persons and informed the authorities. However, Marimuthu died on the spot while Raghupathy died on the way to the hospital. The minor boy is under treatment.
Red Hills traffic investigation wing (TIW) has registered a case and are investigating.