TIRUNELVELI
A woman Sub-Inspector of Police, K. Akhila (30), who was attached to Thazhaiyooththu police station, was killed in a road accident near Naranammalpuram at 4.45 a.m. on Thursday when she was regulating traffic at an accident spot on Tirunelveli-Madurai National Highway.
The police said Sathishkumar, driver of an LPG cylinder-laden lorry, which was proceeding from Tiruchi to Nagercoil, halted the vehicle on the highway while crossing Naranammalpuram to answer the call of nature. A speeding water tanker hit the stationary lorry from behind and overturned on the road. As a result, vehicular traffic was thrown out of gear.
On receiving information about the accident, Akhila, who was on night patrol, rushed to the spot. She put in place reflectors near the overturned tanker to alert oncoming vehicles. When she was regulating traffic at the busy spot with the help of a recovery vehicle, a speeding fruit-laden mini-lorry, proceeding from Madurai to Nagercoil, hit her.
Akhila, who sustained a grievous injury on the head, died on the spot. Water tanker driver R. Ganesan (36) of Keezha Ambur near Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district; K. Saravanan (25) of Thottiyam in Tiruchi district, who was travelling in the cylinder-laden lorry, and recovery vehicle driver Pattumari (28) of Mela Kulavanigarpuram in Palayamkottai also sustained injuries in the accident.
Superintendent of Police P. Ve. Arunshakthikumar and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Thazhaiyooththu) Ponnarasu rushed to the spot. Since the woman police officer had pledged to donate her eyes, the corneas were harvested.
Thazhaiyooththu police arrested mini-lorry driver Madhavan of Kappalur near Tirumangalam after a hot chase by the highway patrol vehicle.
