Three persons were killed in two late night accidents, involving a Metowater lorry and an MTC bus, on Friday.
An elderly woman and her grandson were crushed to death in Korukkupet when the cleaner of a Metrowater lorry accidentally reversed the vehicle.
The lorry had come to NSK Street in Anna Nagar, Korukkupet, around 10.30 p.m. The driver, Peter, parked the vehicle near a water tank that was being filled and left for dinner.
A. Kumar (31), a construction worker, and his grandmother, S. Lakshmi (78), were among the residents collecting water from the tank. Meanwhile, the lorry cleaner, K. Murthy (20), got behind the wheel and reversed the vehicle by accident. The vehicle moved at a high speed and the victims were trapped between it and a load autorickshaw just behind. Kumar and his grandmother died on the spot and the cleaner fled.
A 16-year-old boy was also injured and admitted to Government Stanley Hospital. A search has been launched to apprehend the driver and the cleaner.
Bus mows down man
In the other incident, an MTC bus rammed the footpath outside Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH), killing one man, and injuring a few others.
S.P. Johnson (38), a resident of Choolai, was hit by an MTC bus (21 H) while waiting at the bus stop.
“My husband was discharged from the GH around 9.30 p.m. When I went to collect his reports, he walked to the bus stop and was waiting there when the bus hit him,” said Sundari, his wife.
He was taken to the trauma ward after the accident but was pronounced dead.
According to eyewitnesses, the bus was headed to the depot and was empty.
“The bus came in so fast we didn’t know what happened. The driver ran away immediately,” said E. Umapathy, who was waiting at the stop with his friends.
According to some eyewitnesses, three persons who were injured were taken to hospital.
Johnson worked at an ironing shop in Choolai and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
