A 27-year-old woman police constable died on the spot when she came under the wheels of a mini lorry at Irumbuliyur, Tambaram, on Grand Southern Trunk Road on Saturday morning.
Vetriselvi, daughter of a sub-inspector of police, was on her way to the Anti Vice Squad in the city for her first day of duty there. A resident of Mannivakkam, Vetriselvi was riding a scooter when the mini lorry (TN 38 BP 1581), carrying a consignment of asbestos roofing material from Coimbatore to Chromepet, hit Vetriselvi’s scooter near Sivasakthi Marriage Hall. In the impact, she was thrown off, came under the wheels of the mini lorry and was killed instantly. Vetriselvi was wearing a helmet, but it was smashed in the impact. She suffered injuries on her face, stomach and waist.
Her father, Palaniswamy, who was on duty at Peerkankaranai police station a few hundred metres away, came to the spot after receiving information. His son, Parthiban, who was on his way towards Tambaram and travelling behind his elder sister, reached the spot minutes later. Her body was removed to Tambaram Taluk Government Hospital in Chromepet for post-mortem.
Other women police constables who were her colleagues, described Vetriselvi as a very sincere worker. She had completed 11 years of service, they added. “My father was an inspiration for my sister to join the police force. She had successfully completed the prestigious commando training course and was a champion rifle shooter,” Parthiban said.
Marimuthu Raja (38), driver of the mini lorry has been arrested by St. Thomas Mount Traffic Police (Investigation) under Section 304 (a) of the Indian Penal Code.
The death is the latest in a series of accidents on a small stretch of this National Highway (NH 45), which residents call ‘marana munai’ (corner of death).
A State Highways Department official said that it was up to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to acquire land for widening the road. Soon after the accident on Saturday morning, residents of Irumbuliyur gathered at the spot and raised slogans against the NHAI, accusing it of lethargy. Residents had openly declared on many occasions that they were willing to part with the land for widening the road.
In the past six months, 17 major accidents have taken place, in which six people were killed and nine others sustained grave injuries.
