A 27-year-old motorcyclist was fatally knocked down by a water lorry in T. Nagar on Sunday afternoon. Friends and relatives of the victim staged a road roko after the accident and police lathi-charged the crowd to disperse them.
According to Pondy Bazaar traffic investigation police, the accident took place around 3.15 p.m. on Mayor Sundara Rao Road near the G.K. Moopanar Memorial when the victim, R. Veeraraghavan alias Raghu, a cab driver and a resident of Dr. Giriappa Road in T. Nagar, was riding his motorcycle along with his friend Sundar seated pillion.
“Raghu and his friend were going towards Anna Salai and entered Mayor Sundara Rao Road. The water lorry, operating on contract for Chennai Metrowater, was behind their motorcycle, and rammed it when Raghu tried to cut across. The motorcycle came under the wheels of the heavy vehicle and Raghu died on the spot,” said an investigating officer.
Sundar sustained minor injuries. The news of the fatal accident spread to Raghu’s locality and a group of people including women and children gathered at the site of the accident. The group managed to nab the lorry driver, later identified as Karunanidhi (29), a native of Tiruvarur district, and handed him over to the Teynampet police.
The agitated group blocked traffic on the busy G.N. Chetty Road, stating that the lorry driver had been speeding. They hurled stones at police personnel and also damaged an MTC bus. The police then retaliated with a lathi-charge.
Raghu’s body was sent for a post-mortem examination to Government Royapettah Hospital and the driver was arrested. An investigation is on.
