An MTC bus carrying over 30 passengers ran amok on Santhome High Road, killing an oncoming motorist and injuring five others on Thursday morning. Police said reckless driving was the cause of the accident.
The mishap took place at 11.30 a.m., few metres from Light House, home to half a dozen schools.
The bus (route number 6A, Besant Nagar to Tolgate) was heading to Kamarajar Salai.
“I was crossing the road and stopped immediately at the sight of the speeding bus overtaking another vehicle. Within seconds the bus hit three motorcyclists with a loud noise and came to a halt,” S. Hemavathi, a resident of Nochi Nagar nearby told The Hindu .
The bus first hit motorcyclist Satish (23) of R. A Puram whose father Ambrose (46) was seated pillion.
Their vehicle came under the wheels of the bus, but they had a miraculous escape. But Tulasi (49), a realtor from Alagiri Nagar, Vadapalani, whose scooter was crushed beyond recognition under the wheels of the bus, died on the spot. His daughter Priya (23), who was riding pillion, and another motorist Veeraraghavan (26) of Pulinathope, escaped with minor injuries.
Tulasi with his daughter Priya was heading to the Ashtalakshmi temple in Besant Nagar after meeting someone at the Madras High Court, traffic police sources said.
“I and some motorists caught hold of the driver and beat him up. But he managed to escape by boarding an MTC bus,” said Murugan, another resident.
Driver arrested
The MTC driver, identified as Sundarapandian (46), was arrested by Adyar Traffic Investigation, who are probing the case.
The five injured were rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and are said to be out of danger.
