CHENNAI: A 63-year-old man died after an autorickshaw driven by a drunk driver hit him in Vadapalani on Wednesday night.

The victim, G Sowkaraj (63) of Vadapalani, was walking near a theatre on Arcot Road in Vadapalani when the accident occurred, said the police. As he was walking, an autorickshaw that was passing by went out of control and rammed into Sowkaraj.

The passersby alerted the authorities after which personnel from the Pondy Bazaar Traffic Investigation Wing (TIW) rushed to the scene and moved the elderly man to a hospital where he was declared as brought dead. The body was then shifted to the Government Royapettah Hospital for post-mortem examination.

The police registered a case in connection with the accident and apprehended the auto driver, M Anbarasan (39). During interrogation, it was found that Anbarasan was driving the vehicle under the influence of alcohol, which led to the accident.

In another incident, a man was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after his speeding car crashed into a traffic signal post on Ethiraj Salai in Egmore on Tuesday (November 3). No one was injured in the incident, said the police.

The driver of the car was identified as Deepak Chordia (54), a resident of Choolai. The officials subjected him to a medical examination, which confirmed that he was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, after which he was booked and his vehicle was seized.