A 26-year-old motorcyclist died on the spot, and his friend, the pillion rider, was injured after his two-wheeler was knocked down by an MTC bus in Mint on Saturday.
The bus driver, K. Arumugam (41), was arrested later in the day.
The police said S. Dhanasekar, who works in a photocopy shop in Broadway, and M. Manikandan (25), were on their way to Korukkupet to meet a friend when the accident took place.
Dhanasekar was going down Dr. Vijayaraghavalu Road when an MTC bus on route 32B (Korukkupet–Vivekananda House) rammed his bike from behind when he slowed down at a speed breaker. The bus was headed towards the terminus in Korukkupet.
Due to the impact, Dhanasekar and Manikandan fell on the road. Before the bus driver could apply brakes, the front wheel of the bus ran over Dhanasekar.
He died on the spot. Manikandan sustained minor injuries and was rushed to the Government Stanley Hospital.
“The accident happened around 9.10 a.m. on the congested stretch resulting in traffic chaos for nearly an hour,” said a traffic police officer.
Bus driver Arumugam fled the spot after the accident but was arrested later.
A case under section 304 (rash and negligent driving) was registered against him by the Washermepet traffic police.
“Like other vital stretches in the northern neighbourhood, Dr. Vijayaraghavalu Road, where the accident took place, has narrowed in size mainly due to encroachments. The stretch is congested most of the time,” said K. Shanmugam, a motorist.
Dr. Vijayaraghavalu Road is a crucial link connecting many areas including Washermenpet, Korukkupet, Jamiyah and Tiruvottiyur with the city.
Also, residents from Basin Bridge, Vyasarpadi, Perambur, MKB Nagar and Pulianthope reach Tiruvottiyur High Road via Mint using the stretch.
However, over the years, encroachments in the form of petty shops, hawkers and illegal extension of existing shops have reduced the width of the 40-feet stretch by half. Further, lack of traffic police on the road, especially during rush hours, has led to rash driving by motorists resulting in accidents.
