Reckless drivers mow down pedestrian, cyclist, 2 injured

The Benz car (TN 22 – DR 1122) had hit the deceased first as he was trying to cross the road and then smashed against a bullock cart of a vegetable vendor later went on to hit a parked vehicle besides an SUV coming from the opposite direction.

The deceased was identified as M Krishnamurthy, a resident of Vasanth Press Road, Adyar. The injured were identified as M Ravi, 64 and Stephan, 16. The injured were on the bullock cart, police said.

The police said the Benz belonged to a private university and the driver was not drunk. The driver, K Dharmarajan, a resident of St Thomas Mount, panicked and could not stop the vehicle after the airbag in front of him popped up.

Police are also trying to find out if there were any other occupants in the car as some locals had claimed that they had seen some youths getting out and running away from the scene.

“We think it was an accident and we believe Dharmarajan was driving the vehicle. The driver was not drunk and we will probe all angles,” an officer said. Dharmarajan was allowed to go home on station bail.

In another road accident, a TV journalist, driving a car under the influence of alcohol, fatally knocked down a woman early Sunday morning in Tiruvanmiyur Jayanthi signal.

The deceased was identified as Valli, 41, of Periyar Nagar in Tiruvanmiyur. She was riding her cycle to go for housekeeping work when the car driven by Jeberson, working with a private TV channel, hit her. She died on the spot.

After the car sped away without stopping, onlookers chased the vehicle. “He is being remanded in judicial custody for causing death by driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol,” a senior police officer said.