CHENNAI: An eight-year-old boy died in a road accident on Tuesday morning after a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus allegedly brushed against the two-wheeler driven by his mother near Red Hills.

The deceased was D Naren Tej (8), a Class 3 student at a private school in Anna Nagar. According to the Madhavaram Traffic Investigation Wing (TIW), Naren lived with his parents on Bhajanai Koil Street in Kathirvedu, near Puzhal. His father, Devanathan (44), works at a private company, while his mother, Priya, is an ayurvedic doctor.

The accident occurred around 9 am near the Retteri-Kathirvedu flyover at Red Hills. Priya was taking Naren to his tuition on her two-wheeler when an MTC bus (route no. 242), heading from Red Hills to Parry's Corner in the same direction, reportedly grazed their vehicle as the two-wheeler took a slight curve.

The woman and her son lost balance and fell. "While the mother fell to the right, Naren landed behind the rear wheel of the bus and struck the wheel rim. He suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot. His mother survived with minor injuries," a senior police officer said.

Personnel from the Madhavaram TIW rushed to the scene and sent the boy's body to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital for postmortem. The police have registered a case and arrested the bus driver, Balaganesh (30) of the Vyasarpadi depot. Further investigation is under way.