Two persons including an engineering college student were killed and six others including four school students sustained injuries when a sand-laden lorry went out of control after one of its tyres burst. The lorry hit two motorcycles and a car, and knocked down a cyclist and collided against a school van before coming to a halt here on Tuesday.
The sand-laden lorry was on its way to Ramji Nagar in the city’s outskirts when one of its front tyres burst as the vehicle was proceeding on the Dindigul road near Aristo at around 8.50 a.m.
The lorry driver then lost control of the vehicle on the busy Dindigul road during the morning peak hour, before hitting a car and knocking down two motorcycles.
A. Esther Aucklena, a fourth-year engineering student of a private engineering college at Pirattiyur, who was riding pillion on the motorcycle driven by her father Arul Ravi, was thrown off the vehicle and came under the wheels of the lorry and died.
The rider of another motorcycle, A. Angusamy (39), who sustained injuries after being knocked down by the lorry is undergoing treatment at the Annal Gandhi Memorial Government Headquarters Hospital here.
Police sources said the lorry then knocked down a cyclist – P.S. Rajan (52) - who later succumbed to head injuries at the Government Hospital here. The fully loaded goods carrier then collided against a private school van causing injuries to five occupants including four students before coming to a halt.
Police gave the names of the injured as A. Mohammed Alauddin (7), M. Firoze Bhanu (13), A. Abu Backer (8), Syed Sowbik (8) and P. Idumban (58), who are undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.
Traffic on the Dindigul road came to a standstill for some time due to the accident. The lorry driver K. Subramanian (35), of Thirunagar in Karumandapam area was arrested. The Traffic Investigation (South) Wing has registered a case.
Meanwhile, the Tiruchi District Exnora has appealed to the district administration, police and Transport Department to immediately enforce speed restrictions in Tiruchi city. A speed limit of 40 kilometres should be implemented and all encroachments on both sides of the Dindigul road should be removed at once, its honorary secretary C. Balasubramanian said in a press release on Tuesday.
Today’s accident on the Dindigul road is an example of how sand lorries ply on the city roads, Mr. Balasubramaniam said. All encroachments in Gorimedu and along Dindigul road should be removed and traffic police should be posted at the Ponnagar Junction. Drivers of government, private buses and lorries should be given a periodical refresher course by the Transport Department. The district administration should put an end to reckless driving and save precious lives, Mr. Balasubramanian said.
