Driver charred to death as tipper lorry catches fire after accident

The deceased S Ramesh was proceeding towards Red Hills from Kancheepuram in a tipper lorry, carrying gravel. Suddenly, the lorry rammed the truck, which was carrying an ear mover from Tambaram to Gummidipoondi, from behind on Outer Ring Road at North Malayambakkam near Mangadu. In the impact, the tipper lorry toppled and caught fire as its diesel tank exploded due to a leak. Within seconds, the entire lorry was engulfed in the fire and Ramesh got stuck inside. Two rear wheels of the trailer truck was also damaged in the fire, but the driver Mohan escaped without injuries.  

Police suspect that Ramesh might have either dozed off or attempted to overtake the truck before him, leading to the accident. 

On information, Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel from Poonamallee rushed to the spot and put out the fire after battling for an hour. Police recovered Ramesh’s body and sent it for autopsy to the nearby GH. The incident affected blocked the traffic on the road more than three hours and the vehicles were diverted to the service road until the gravel and vehicles were removed around 3.30 am. 

Police sources said that Ramesh, a resident of Kovur, got married to Jhansirani last year. Poonamalee traffic investigation police have registered a case and further investigation is on.