A lorry driver who was trapped inside his vehicle for more than one hour after it rammed a parked lorry, was rescued on Sunday morning. Govindarajan (47) was driving a container lorry with a consignment of aerated drinks from a factory in Nemam towards Puducherry. Around 5 a.m., his vehicle rammed another container lorry. The latter was carrying a load of rolled steel sheets and its driver Chandran had parked the vehicle after one of its rear wheels burst.
As the incident with the wheel occurred at an odd hour, Chandran was told that help would come only on Sunday morning. So, he left the vehicle near the median. Some time later, Govindarajan’s lorry rammed the parked vehicle. In the impact, many bottles containing the aerated drink fell on the road and were shattered.
Residents of Irumbuliyur and CTO Colony and motorists on Chennai Bypass informed the control rooms of the traffic police and Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department.
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Personnel rushed to the spot and noticed a group of men around the driver’s cabin trying to pull out Govindarajan whose legs were trapped. Police dispersed them and summoned two heavy duty cranes. Using iron cables, they tried to lift the driver’s cabin and succeeded after an hour’s struggle. Govindarajan emerged out of the vehicle safely, was given first aid at a private hospital and is out of danger.
Traffic on Chennai Bypass was affected for more than an hour.