CHENNAI: Traffic on the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway was thrown out of gear in the early hours of Friday after a lorry went out of control, crashed into safety barriers and trees before coming to a stop blocking the busy stretch.
The incident took place near Vandalur in the early morning on Friday. Police said the driver, identified as Senthil (35) from Dindivanam in Villupuram, was transporting goods to the Chennai Port.
According to preliminary reports, the lorry was traveling at a high speed when the driver lost control. The vehicle veered to the right, crashed into barriers on the side of the road, trees, and signage, before coming to a halt diagonally across the highway.
The force of the impact was such that several trees were uprooted and fell across both sides of the road, all of which severely obstructed traffic flow. As a result, vehicular movement on the National Highway was completely jammed from around 5 am.
The block led to a massive pileup, with vehicles lined up for more than two km in both directions between Vandalur-Kilambakkam and Vandalur-Perungalathur.
Based on an alert, officials from the Highways Department and personnel from Maraimalainagar Fire Station and Tambaram Traffic Investigation Wing rushed to the spot. They cut and removed the fallen trees, the damaged signage, and also towed the lorry from the road.
The concerted efforts helped restore traffic gradually, and the situation finally became normal after 8 am, nearly three hours after the incident.
Meanwhile, the driver, Senthil, has been taken into custody for further investigation. Police are probing whether the accident was caused by driver fatigue or if he was under the influence of alcohol while driving.