CHENNAI: A 35-year-old conservancy worker died after being hit by a speeding car while on duty on the Tambaram-Velachery Road.

The deceased was identified as Rani (35), a contract conservancy worker of the Tambaram corporation, who was cleaning along the roadside of the Tambaram-Velachery Road early Monday morning when a speeding car lost control and hit her.

Under the impact, she was flung several feet, and the car sped away without stopping. Soon, Rani was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries in the wee hours of Friday.

Following the death, the Pallikaranai Traffic investigation police, with the help of CCTV, identified the car driver as Yogesh (24), an IT employee in Tambaram, and he was arrested for rash and negligent driving causing death.

Following the tragic death, hundreds of conservancy workers gathered in front of the Tambaram Corporation office and staged a protest. They demanded safety measures for field staff and severe action against the driver responsible for the hit-and-run, along with financial compensation for Rani's family.

Corporation officials and representatives from the private firm managing sanitation work held peace talks with the workers and assured them that appropriate action would be taken. Officials also promised that arrangements would be made for emergency medical care through the ESI hospital system for workers in future incidents.