Bus hits ambulance, kills driver trying to rescue accident victims, on Tiruchi-Chennai highway near Perambalur

Police said the accident, early on Monday, initially involved a van and a tractor collision, a ‘108’ ambulance that arrived at the scene to rescue the victims was then hit by an omni bus; the collisions killed three including the ambulance driver, and injured five others

Perambalur Collector K. Karpagam meeting one the victims of the accident at the Government Headquarters Hospital in Perambalur on Monday | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Three persons, including a woman, died, and five others sustained injuries, in multiple collisions involving four vehicles on the Tiruchi - Chennai national highway near Perambalur, early on Monday, June 5, 2023.  

Police said the accident, involving a tractor, van, a ‘108’ ambulance and an omni bus took place at around 2 a.m. The deceased were identified as I. Rajendran (45), the ambulance driver, A. Kuppusamy (60) and S. Kavipriya (22) both of Dindigul district who were occupants of the van.

According to the police, a group of 10 persons on board the van were returning to Dindigul from Tiruvannamalai. The van collided with a tractor, while trying to overtake it. In the collision, the tractor overturned on the left side of the road while the van went over the centre median and came to a halt.  Acting on information received, a ‘108’ ambulance rushed to the spot. The ambulance driver and paramedics were involved in rescuing the injured when an omni bus proceeding towards Tiruchi from Chennai hit the centre median and collided with the ambulance.

In the collision, the ambulance driver Rajendran, as well as Kuppusamy and Kavipriya who were helping in moving the injured, died on the spot, police said. The injured persons were subsequently admitted to the Government Headquarters Hospital at Perambalur. Among the injured were the tractor driver and a couple of occupants of the van. 

Police personnel regulated vehicular movement at the site of the accident. Perambalur Collector K. Karpagam called on the injured persons at the hospital and enquired about their condition with doctors.  The Perambalur police are investigating.