Amid several conjectures over the cause of the accident in which car racer Ashwin Sundar and his wife Niveditha were killed on Saturday, the traffic police are zeroing in on the theory that it was speeding that caused the accident.
Police said the couple left home around 11.15 p.m. in Alapakkam saying that they would be having dinner at Leela Palace Hotel, which Ashwin frequented.
Before heading to the hotel, the couple met a friend, Mohit, at Besant Nagar, and then spent some time on Elliots Beach. The couple then drove away in the two-seater BMW, traffic police said, adding that many people had seen the car being driven in a rash manner.
When the car reached the Ambedkar memorial on DGS Dinakaran Salai, it hit a speed breaker that was not painted. In the impact, it flew off the road and hit the ground. It then hit the median before running over the platform where it rammed a wall. In the impact, the petrol tank developed a leak. Caught between the wall and a tree on the pavement, the car immediately went up in flames.
Rituals performed
The families of the couple on Monday performed rituals on the spot where the accident took place. Mandaveli Regional Transport Officer inspected what was left of the car and the spot. Sources said he would prepare a report after analysing various factors.
Two-wheeler rider hurt
Two days after the tragic death of Ashwin and his wife, a motorist sustained injuries after reportedly hitting a speed-breaker and falling on DGS Dinakaran Salai on Sunday night. Police said after having dinner at a hotel, Karthik (30) hit a speed-breaker and was thrown off the vehicle. He sustained injuries on the head.
