CHENNAI: A 39 year old woman, a destitute was killed after a police constable driving a traffic police tow van (wrecker) reversed the vehicle without noticing the woman sleeping behind the wheels near Ennore Expressway on Friday night.

The deceased was identified as A Manjula (39).

Police investigations revealed that the woman is from Semmencherry and she was mentally unwell.

On Friday night, around 7 30 pm, the constable, P Dharmaraj (29) had operated the vehicle when the incident happened.

The vehicle was parked near a police booth along Ennore Expressway.

Dharmaraj got into the vehicle and reversed it when the woman who was lying near the rear tyres came under the wheels and got killed.

Onlookers rushed the woman to a hospital where it was confirmed that she had already died.

Washermanpet TIW (Traffic Investigation Wing) personnel moved the woman’s body to a government hospital for post mortem.

Police booked a case under section 304 A IPC (causing death by negligence) against the police constable, Dharmaraj and arrested him.