A Deputy Tahsildar, M. Mathusoothanan (42), was killed on the spot when a car hit his two-wheeler while he was attempting to cross the four-lane highway off Valar Nagar on Sunday.
Police said that the victim was thrown 70 feet away onto the other side of the highway. The tyre marks on the road suggested that the limousine driver, who had escaped after deserting the vehicle, had applied brakes but in vain. “There is a ‘U’-turn 200 metres away. However, the deceased had chosen to ride his two-wheeler over the median to get to the other side,” police sources said.
Local people, who wanted to avoid making a circuitous route to get to the other side of the highway, had damaged the median. “After a joint inspection by the district and city police, and the Regional Transport Officer, it was decided to put up a permanent barricade at that point to prevent people from attempting a dangerous crossing. Accordingly, the barricade for 100 feet was put up,” he said.
However, people had damaged the median close to the barricade to continue with the dangerous crossing. After the Sunday’s accident, the police have put up movable barricades to prevent people from crossing the road.
In another accident reported on Alagarkoil Road, S. Ganesan (50) of Moondrumavadi was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Saturday night. He succumbed to injuries at Government Rajaji Hospital.
