CHENNAI: A 28-year-old woman and her six-month-old daughter riding pillion in a two-wheeler were killed after a speeding container truck hit the bike from behind near the Madhavaram Roundabout on Saturday morning.

The deceased were Sharmila (28), a homemaker, and her six-month-old daughter. Sharmila's husband, Nithyanandham (34), who works at a private mobile phone company near Sriperumbudur, was riding the motorcycle. The family was travelling from their residence in Puzhal to Sharmila's mother's house in Kodungaiyur when the accident happened, police investigations revealed.

The container lorry was heading towards Ennore from Madhavaram and hit the motorcycle. All the occupants in the bike were thrown to the ground on impact, and the woman and the baby came under the wheels of the truck.

Nithyanandham survived with injuries. Police said that he was wearing a helmet.

All three were taken to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared Sharmila and the infant dead. Nithyanandham is undergoing treatment.

Police arrested the lorry driver, Pounraj (35), and booked him under Section 106 (1) of BNS (causing death by rash and negligent driving). After the postmortem examination, the bodies of Sharmila and her daughter were handed over to the family.