CHENNAI: A 70-year-old retired railway employee died after his motorcycle hit a cow that ran across the road on the Thiruvallur–Arakkonam highway near Pundarikapuram in Tiruvallur district.

The deceased was identified as Ramamoorthy, a resident of Pundarikapuram village in Vyasapuram panchayat under Thiruvalangadu union. Police said the incident occurred around 6 pm on October 21, when he was travelling to the Thiruvalangadu bazaar on his motorcycle.

As he was passing in front of the Pundarikapuram Government Primary School, a cow suddenly ran across the four-lane highway. Ramamoorthy lost control of his vehicle and fell on the road, suffering serious head injuries, Daily Thanthi reported.

Passersby rushed him to the Arakkonam Government Hospital. He was later referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai, where he succumbed to his injuries on October 23.

Following a complaint from his wife Kantha, Thiruvalangadu police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.