After two years of fatality-free New Year celebrations, the city and its suburbs witnessed five deaths in road accidents on New Year’s eve on Tuesday.
Rash driving proved fatal for some of the revellers. P. Ramprasad (19), an engineering student, died after his bike rammed a lorry on the Sardar Patel Road flyover. He and his friend Saravanan, who was riding pillion, were headed to Besant Nagar beach. While Ramprasad died on the spot, Saravanan sustained injuries.
In another accident, Ramanarayanan (42), an employee at a hotel in M.K.B. Nagar, died after the two-wheeler he was riding was knocked down by a lorry near Basin Bridge. He was on his way to Washermenpet to celebrate New Year with his friends. Lorry driver Muthuvel (32) was arrested and remanded.
Arun Kumar (17) of Kundrathur and Anbuchelvan (25) of Arumbakkam died in two separate accidents. While Arun Kumar’s bike hit the median on Vandalur-Minjur Road while he was on the way to buy a cake, Anbuchelvan’s bike was hit by a lorry near Vellapanchavadi. The lorry driver Sivakumar was arrested and remanded.
Around 4.30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sekar alias Dhandayudhapani, a 23-year-old man, who was returning after attending a New Year’s party in Maraimalai Nagar, died after he fell from his bike on the Tambaram Bypass Road. Two of his friends, who were riding pillion, were injured.
Meanwhile, R. Balachandar (32) of Otteri, who was on his way to a party, was injured after a bottle of alcohol he had tucked in his waist shattered and pierced his abdomen after he fell from his two-wheeler on Perambur Barracks Road on Tuesday night.
The accidents on New Year’s eve kept the staff at government hospitals on their toes. Doctors said most of the cases were related to road accidents.
The casualty ward of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital received a total of 69 cases since midnight. Of this, 37 persons sustained injuries in road accidents, while the others were injured in assaults and falls.
At the Government Royapettah Hospital, 50 persons reported with injuries after midnight. “Complaints were lodged for about 30 cases, while many others claimed that they sustained injuries after falling from their two-wheelers. A majority of them were in the age group of 20-24 years. At the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, 25 persons were brought in for treatment of injuries between 11 p.m. on December 31 and 3 a.m. on January 1.
Senior traffic police officers said over 18,000 policemen were deployed to ensure an accident-free New Year’s Eve
