Man crashes taxi into traffic police booth near Tambaram

CHENNAI: A 28-year-old call taxi driver rammed his vehicle into a police booth on GST Road near Tambaram on Tuesday afternoon, narrowly missing a woman police constable who had left the booth minutes earlier for lunch.

Mohamed Hanifa of Madhavaram had dropped off a passenger at Perungalathur and headed to Tambaram for lunch. Around 2 pm, the car, which was travelling on high speed, suddenly veered off the road and crashed into a police booth near the Hindu Mission Hospital on the GST Road. As the booth is located near a designated crossing point frequently used by two-wheeler riders, motorists waiting to cross the road panicked and ran for safety.

Residents and passing motorists rushed to the spot and helped in rescue efforts. The impact of the collision completely damaged the police booth. However, Hanifa escaped with minor injuries. Police said one or two traffic personnel are usually stationed inside the booth to regulate traffic. During the time of the incident, the woman constable on duty had locked the booth and left for lunch around 10 minutes before the crash, helping her narrowly escape injury.

During inquiry, the driver reportedly told police that he was driving in a drowsy state and accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake while attempting to slow down the vehicle near the spot. The Tambaram Traffic Investigation Wing police have registered a case and are investigating.