CHENNAI:  A 38-year-old autorickshaw driver died after a palm tree fell on his vehicle near the junction of Medavakkam Tank Road and Ayanavaram Road on Saturday afternoon. A Class 11 student who was in the auto survived without any injuries.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Wahid, of VOC Nagar, Tondiarpet. According to the police, he was driving along Ayanavaram road when the incident happened.

The tree, which is inside the Institute of Mental Health campus near the outpatient block, fell and crushed the front portion of the autorickshaw, leading to the driver's death.

The preliminary investigations revealed that the tree was weak due to a termite infestation, leading to a fall. The Class 11 student of a private school in Nungambakkam, who was in the auto, escaped unhurt. Upon learning about the incident, the student's parents rushed to her aid.

The police recovered the auto driver's body and sent it to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for the post-mortem examination.

The Secretariat Colony police have registered a case, and further investigation is under way. Due to this accident, traffic was disrupted on the stretch for about an hour.